


I Need You

by hawaiigal52



Category: Ugly Betty
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:22:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawaiigal52/pseuds/hawaiigal52
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 4-Slightly A/U, set between The Past Presents the Future and Hello/Goodbye. Betty has accepted the offer from Mr. Dunne, but not yet told Daniel she plans to move to London.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Need You

Title: I Need You  
Category: TV Shows » Ugly Betty  
Author: Betty the Bonita  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M  
Genre: Angst/Romance  
Published: 06-13-12, Updated: 08-24-12  
Chapters: 15, Words: 37,097  
________________________________________  
Chapter 1: Chapter 1  
________________________________________  
I Need You  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything from UB!  
A two-shot, set in Season 4, in between Episodes The Past Presents the Future and Hello Goodbye. Betty has accepted the offer from Mr. Dunne, but has not yet told Daniel she is moving to London.  
________________________________________  
It was late. Betty knew she was going to have to tell Daniel soon about her job offer in London. She looked at him, as she came into the office she knew so well. He was still hard at work on the Anniversary Issue.  
She remembered fondly coming in to help him work on it only a few nights ago. They had worked together happily till almost dawn. It felt wonderful to spend so much time with him again. She had started to tell him of her offer then, but just couldn't bring herself to spoil such a great night.  
She was so proud of him. All he had done to try and fill his father's shoes, all his hard work was really beginning to show. He not only had a loyal fan base, due in part to his bad boy/turned doting husband/widower after Molly's death, but also simply because people noticed the difference in his work.  
He had made Mode what it was today: even better than it ever had been under Fey Sommers. Of course, Betty and even Wilhelmina had both been a big part of its' success. But Daniel had definitely put his own stamp on the last several years' of issues, since Bradford's death.  
Betty knew what she had to do. He deserved to hear the truth from her about her plans. It wasn't going to be easy. This wasn't like the offer he himself had encouraged her to accept from Sofia Reyes. This was a job she had gotten totally on her own. (Of course, she got it AFTER she had met Lindsey Dunne during Fashion Week that Daniel had kindly sent her to for Hilda's Bachelorette party).  
She owed him so much, and now she felt like she was stabbing him in the back by leaving, accepting this job so far away from Mode, from New York, from him.  
But hadn't he been the first one to say he never wanted to hold her back from her dreams? This was a huge opportunity for her. She had to do it, or she would always wonder. She squared her shoulders and told herself, "Relax. This is Daniel. He's always on your side. He'll support you. Just breathe."  
He looked up as she came into his office, "Hey, you! I was just thinking about you. I didn't know you were still here, too. Hard at work as usual on a Friday night, huh? I thought I was the only one here, burning the midnight oil."  
"No. I…need to talk to you about something, Daniel. It's kind of important."  
"That's funny. I wanted to talk to you about something, too. I was trying to get the nerve to call you, but…since you're here. I…well, sorry. I interrupted you. You go first."  
She tried to breathe, but she couldn't get her heart to stop beating so fast that she thought she was going to pass out. "No. It's fine. You go ahead with what you were going to say, Daniel."  
He motioned for her to sit down, as he paced. "Okay. This is probably going to sound a little out there, Betty. But, hear me out. Look, we've known each other so long. You've been my assistant and my friend for…well, it seems like forever now.  
So, maybe this will seem like it's coming out of left field to you, because we've never really…talked about it or considered it, but…I wanted to see how you might feel about going out with me?"  
He said the last sentence very quickly, and stood at the window, with his back to her, only slightly glancing with his eyes to see her reaction. He saw that her eyes got huge, so he continued pacing, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.  
"Before you freak out, I was just thinking that the reason I got so mad about Henry was because I was jealous, Betty. And…I wondered if maybe you were a little jealous of Trista, too, and that's why you didn't like me going out with her?"  
He had walked around to the chair where Betty was sitting and was now leaning down, having both hands on the arms of the chair and looking into her eyes, inches away from her face.  
She took a deep breath. This was definitely not what she was expecting. Daniel wanted to DATE HER? She thought about the news she was going to tell him. She wondered if she was perhaps taking the job in London because she didn't want to continue seeing him with girls like Trista.  
Had she secretly been trying to run away from her own feelings for him? She looked into his eyes; those deep, gorgeous blue eyes that seemed so sincere now. She couldn't help but grin at him. "YOU, want to date ME? Daniel, are you high?"  
He laughed, "No. Why not me date you? You think I'm not good enough or something? I'll have you know, Miss Suarez, I no longer qualify for your 'man-whore' title and haven't for quite some time now.  
In fact, my social calendar is pretty empty these days. I think you're the reason. I keep looking at all the women I used to 'date' and every time I do…they fall short, because I keep comparing them to you, Betty."  
She smiled at him, thinking this might be something she needed to find out BEFORE she took a job so far away. If he was right, if the reason she disliked Trista so much was because she had feelings for him, then she needed to face that and decide if she still really wanted to leave.  
But should she tell him she was considering the offer seriously even if she did change her mind and stay in New York? She didn't want to turn down the job, have him take her out on one date, and then change HIS mind. She was torn.  
The last thing she wanted to do was deceive Daniel. But on the other hand…her thoughts were interrupted. As she pondered, she hadn't noticed he had invaded her space and now was kissing her, holding her by her arms and leaning down. He pulled her up to stand next to him, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her closer.  
She lost all capacity for rational thought. She felt his tongue seek entry into her mouth. Once she felt that, she noticed how strong and protective his arms felt around her. The many hugs she had given him and eventually he started giving her didn't do this embrace justice, she thought.  
She had been keenly aware, during their many hugs just how sexy Daniel's smell was and how his mixture of cologne with his own scent gave her shivers. Something she always tried to ignore.  
But now, as his tongue was eagerly exploring her mouth, she felt those same shivers, to the millionth degree. His hands were roaming across her back, to the back of her head, pulling her into his embrace, till she felt his body and became keenly aware of his own reactions to their kiss.  
Make that kisses. Once they started, neither Daniel (nor Betty) seemed content to stop kissing. He had been going on his own, but now that she was in this, Betty began reacting physically to Daniel's 'attack' on her senses.  
She responded very enthusiastically with her own tongue, dueling with his, and she also found her own hands wandering, exploring his muscular arms and back, as well. As they kissed each other passionately, hungrily, he led her to the chaise and sat them down, never breaking the kiss. Then he started kissing his way down her neck.  
Suddenly, Betty became aware of all the other women that had done this same little 'dance' with Daniel. She broke away and looked at him.  
"I'm not going to be just another notch in your belt, Daniel."  
He took a deep breath. "I know, Betty. I wish I could take back all you know about me. All the bad stuff. I can't, though. I can only tell you I'm done with all that. I don't want casual anymore. I want to see what it's like to have a relationship that's real; with someone I know and…love."  
She stood up; more shocked than before, "LOVE?"  
He stood up, following her, as she backed away, "Yes, Betty. Love. Don't tell me you don't love me, too. Because I know you do. I saw it at Hilda's wedding. You were looking at me the same way I was looking at you.  
When she said that speech of hers, it just hit me. That thing she said about love being with someone you know better than they know themselves and wanting to protect them? That's why I was so mad about Henry.  
I didn't want him to hurt you again, because I care about you. Not just because I was a friend, but because I love you, Betty. I saw it in your eyes, too. You were looking at me differently."  
"I…well, yes; I guess I was, Daniel. But it's because I was trying to figure out how to tell you something and I didn't want to hurt you." She couldn't continue keeping this from him. Not if he had feelings for her. It wasn't right, she thought.  
"Hurt me? What, you have decided to get back together with Henry, then? I thought you said that was over, Betty! You know he's just going to hurt you again! You can't be serious!" He looked panicked, and worried about her. It broke her heart to see him so upset. Now, she worried she might actually be breaking his.  
"No. Not Henry. It's not about him, Daniel."  
"What, is Matt back or something?" She saw that he was really jealous. This was something she had never considered.  
The reason behind Daniel's total over-protectiveness all these years, the incident at Wicked, firing Gio, punching Matt, could they have all been because he had developed real feelings for her?  
She closed her eyes, "Daniel. Sit down. I need to tell you something. But, hear ME out, okay?"  
He sat back down on the chaise, looking scared, as if he knew his heart was going to be in danger soon. She did the pacing now, "Okay, you know how I've always wanted to run my own magazine, right?"  
"Betty, please don't tell me you have joined forces with Wilhelmina to start your own magazine."  
She had to laugh, "No. Definitely not! I would never do that to you, Daniel."  
He looked relieved. She continued, "No, but…I was approached by Lindsey Dunne. While I was in London, he offered me a part time writing job for a fashion column. Something I could do and still work at Mode."  
"That sounds great, Betty. Congratulations." He looked relieved for the moment.  
"I turned it down. I realized after thinking about what Gio said about following his passion that I needed to do that, too."  
"That's good. So, what did Dunne say when you turned him down?"  
"He was impressed when I turned him down for the fashion piece. I told him fashion wasn't really where my heart was, and that I wanted something more…substantial. So, he came here last week and offered me a managing editor position at a new magazine he's starting."  
Daniel looked as if he had been shot. He was trying to put the pieces together. Then, Betty felt as if she were re-loading the gun and firing again, straight into his heart for the kill.  
"In London."  
"In London?" he parroted.  
She merely nodded. He closed his eyes and thought for a minute, then blew out a breath, and walked over to stand beside her, putting his hand on her back. "I hope you said yes, Betty."  
She looked surprised, "You…what?"  
"It's what you've always wanted, right? To run your own magazine. So, this is your wish come true. I just…wish it wasn't so far away."  
"You are okay with this?"  
He shrugged, "Well, I'm not thrilled you won't be in New York, but…if it's your dream, I don't want to stand in your way."  
She looked at him strangely, "So, what about what you said earlier about wanting to date and that you loved me?"  
"Well, I still feel that way, of course, Betty. But I wouldn't want to stand in your way, either. You've got to follow your own path. I don't want you staying here just because of me. I didn't stop you from taking the job with Sofia, did I?"  
"Well, no. But, that was in the same building. And you were thrilled when I quit after she hurt you. Plus, we…never mind. I guess I've got my answer then. I'll definitely take the job."  
She looked upset. He shook his head, "What do you want me to say, Betty? Stay here? Don't go? You'd resent the hell out of me if I asked you to turn down an offer like that just so you could be here at my disposal.  
I had you here for four years and didn't have enough sense to ask you out. So, I guess that's just my luck. I waited too long to ask." He shrugged his shoulders, turning his back to her again.  
Betty couldn't read his expression, but she headed for the door. "It doesn't really sound as if you care one way or another, so if that's the way you feel about it, I guess you can consider this my two weeks' notice, then, Daniel. Do you need that in writing, sir?" she quipped.  
"Hey, what's with the sarcasm? I tell you I love you and kiss you and you tell me that no…that actually wasn't love on your face at your sister's wedding, it was guilt.  
You were just afraid to tell me you couldn't wait to get away from me! So, what do you expect me to do now, write you a freaking sonnet or something, Betty?  
You want to go to London-go! There's the door! Don't forget to write!" He stormed out, slamming his door and leaving Betty staring out after him, with tears in her eyes.  
She knew she had hurt him deeply. He had bared his soul to her and she had told him she wanted to leave. He saw it as her leaving HIM, not Mode.  
She sat down on the chaise and cried, wishing she could somehow take it all back, and rewind to before she had told him and forget she had gotten the offer. Could she really go now, knowing how Daniel felt about her?  
________________________________________  
Chapter 2: Chapter 2  
________________________________________  
I Need You…Chapter 2  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. For entertainment purposes only!  
________________________________________  
"I need you." This time, Daniel was the one receiving the text message from Betty, at four-thirty on Saturday the morning, one week after their fight.  
He had been sleeping (albeit, somewhat unsuccessfully), and the buzzing stirred him. At first, he thought perhaps he was still dreaming.  
He got up, and turned on a light, cursing as he knocked over the glass of Scotch by his night stand and watched it brake as it fell to the floor.  
When he looked closely, he realized this was a reminder of a text she had actually sent over an hour ago. "Damn it!"  
He tried calling her, but it just went to her voice mail. He contemplated calling Amanda, Hilda, Justin, or Ignacio, but hesitated, not wanting to worry them needlessly if they didn't know Betty's whereabouts or why she had been texting him at three in the morning.  
He hastily dressed in sweats and tennis shoes, grabbing his phone and keys, and just as he was coming into the living room and heading for the door, he heard a knock. Who the hell was here at this hour, and knew his security code, he wondered? Becks, drunk again? Or could it be her?  
He opened the door and sure enough, Betty stood, soaking wet. "I thought you said you would come, Daniel. I waited on our bridge for over an hour."  
He grabbed her inside and pulled her to him, hugging her, "God, Betty. I was passed out, sleeping. I didn't hear my phone. I just now woke up.  
Plus, you didn't say where you were. Are you okay? What the hell were you doing standing outside in the rain?"  
"I don't know, really. I just needed to go to our bridge." She shook with cold, as she stood just inside Daniel's doorway. Her blouse and skirt were both soaked through, and clung to her.  
Daniel took a breath, "Come on. Let's get you out of those wet clothes, before you catch pneumonia."  
He led her into his bedroom and quickly pulled out a towel from the bathroom to wrap around her. She shivered, and stood still, allowing him to rub her dry as much as he could.  
"Betty, why didn't you just come here in the first place? What's wrong?"  
She started to tear up, "What's wrong? Everything is wrong, Daniel. You hate me.  
You told me to leave, but now I don't even want the stupid job, so I turned it down.  
I don't know how to make things right with you. You won't talk to me. You won't take my calls, and you ignore me at work. I've been miserable since that night. I'm sorry, Daniel.  
I should never have told you about the job in the first place. It didn't mean as much to me as you do.  
I should have just called Mr. Dunne back like I ended up doing in the first place and told him my life was here. This is where I want to be. This is where I need to be."  
Daniel listened to her outburst, but didn't comment.  
He was busying himself rubbing her vigorously dry and handed her a sweatshirt and sweatpants, "Here. Go in the bathroom and put these on before you freeze to death. I'll make you some hot herbal tea."  
She laughed slightly, "The kind I got you that you said was too girly?"  
He nodded, "Well, sorry, but I don't drink it too much. I did have it a few times, actually. It's not bad. Go get dressed. You might want to take a hot shower first. It'll warm you up. I'll wait in the kitchen. Are you hungry?"  
She shook her head, "The tea sounds good, though. Thanks. I'll be right out."  
"It's fine. Take your time" He started towards the kitchen, then looked back at her, "Hey, are you okay?"  
She nodded, obviously shaken, and upset, but smiling weakly, "I will be, thanks."  
He nodded and turned back to the kitchen.  
Twenty minutes later, she re-emerged, her hair still damp and her glasses fogged from the steam. She took them off, walking into the kitchen.  
Daniel sat her down and handed her a cup of tea. "There you go, girly tea, with three sugars. Just how you like it."  
She smiled and held the warm cup, placing her glasses on the table.  
He looked at her, concerned. "Are you feeling better?"  
She nodded, holding the cup in front of her somewhat like a security blanket. She looked down into the cup as if it held some hidden answer for her. She searched for what to say.  
Daniel finally broke the silence, "I should have called you, Betty. I'm sorry. You know how I get. What can I say? I'm stubborn. So are you. I sort of hide out, although I realize it's not healthy.  
I shouldn't still be doing it, after all this time, especially not to you. Listen, I really don't want you to turn down that job. Maybe, we can figure out a compromise or something."  
"I don't see how, Daniel. I can't work part-time in London. I can't meet you in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. What kind of compromise can we have in this situation?  
It doesn't matter, anyway. I already turned it down. I can't call him again, after I said yes, then no. He'll just think I'm a complete flake. I told him I needed to be here for my family. I used my dad's heart attack as an excuse and he bought it."  
"Well, okay, let's talk about that. Your dad would really miss you. That much is true. But didn't you tell me he also misses Elena? That their long-distance relationship has been too hard on him and she was talking about moving back here again so they could be together?"  
"Yes. So?"  
"Well, maybe we should use them as an example of how difficult it would be to try and keep a long-distance relationship going. I don't really think it would work. But, I don't want you giving up on something I know you really want, Betty."  
"Well, fine, then. You already made it clear you don't want me anymore. You changed your mind about what you said before."  
"You mean that I love you?" He made it almost sound like an accusation.  
"Yes." She said quietly.  
"No, I didn't. I never said I changed my mind. It wouldn't be my mind, anyway, stupid. It's my heart and I can't help it from feeling the way I do. I still love you, no matter where the hell you live, Betty.  
I know I flew off the handle, but you've got to understand, it took a lot for me to admit my feelings in the first place.  
Then you go and tell me you don't really love me, you were just feeling sorry for me because you were thinking about leaving. It hurt my ego. I know, I know; guys and their egos. But, I can't just pretend this doesn't hurt.  
I've been thinking, though and I believe I may have a solution to our problem that will make everybody, including Ms. Slater happy. I know when I told my mom, she was thrilled!"  
"Wilhelmina? What's she got to do with us?"  
"Everything, Betty. She has busted her ass, just as much as you these past four years, hell for over twenty years altogether. She deserved the job I got when dad thought Alex was dead and tapped me.  
Looking back, I can't say I totally blame her for being pissed that I got handed the job. I was a spoiled, overindulgent child at the time. I didn't deserve it at all. Then, I treated you like crap at first, too. Yet, you forgave me and held my hand, helping me to take pride in my work.  
You deserve to live your dream. Which never included working at Mode, I know. You only stayed as long as you did for me. You knew I needed your help. I didn't really ever care about Mode until you helped me see I could do the job.  
Well, if I can do the job as an Editor-in-chief for a magazine I didn't deserve and didn't really care about, I figure I can definitely do the job as the head of advertising at a small little start up magazine in London. At least, as long as I have you to consult with from time to time.  
In the meantime, I've spoken to Wilhelmina to let her know I was stepping down at Mode and she could finally have the job she deserved four years ago. The job she earned.  
Actually, when Hilda and your papi told me you had changed your mind and turned down the job, I called Mr. Dunne, and told him I was very concerned that your overblown sense of loyalty to me had you convinced that I couldn't do my job without your help.  
He asked how that could be and I ended up telling him how I screwed things up for you by confessing my feelings for you just before you were trying to tell me about his job offer.  
We had a really great talk, and he ended up offering a solution to our dilemma by offering me a job there, too.  
He said as long as we don't 'mess about' during work hours, he had no company policy against two employees fraternizing after work hours. It's funny, but it seems he fell in love with his wife at work, too."  
"His wife? Really?"  
He nodded, "Yep. So, what do you think? If you actually turned your phone back on, you may have a voice mail from him re-offering you that job again.  
But think carefully before you make a commitment. Because, he said this time, whatever you decide stays. No more changing your mind, the third time's the absolute charm!" he laughed.  
She looked at him, wide-eyed and wrapped her arms around him. "I can't believe you did all that for me, Daniel! You got me my dream job AND my dream man. I can't believe it!"  
He smirked, "I'M your dream man, huh? I'd be curious to hear about those dreams sometime, since I'm the star."  
She blushed, "I don't know. Maybe, sometime, Daniel. I'm sorry if you thought I didn't love you. That's not what I meant to imply. I do love you, very much, in fact. I just didn't think you could or would ever love me, so I wanted to go live my own life, away from all the Tristas, and let you be happy without me. I just couldn't stay anymore and watch."  
He shook his head and hugged her, "Betty, don't you get it? I can't live without you, honey. I'm never going to be happy unless we're together. I need you, and I always will."  
As he let her go, she looked up and smiled, "I need you, too, Daniel. Honey? That's new."  
He laughed, "Well, I was just trying it out. What do you think?"  
She shrugged, blushing slightly, "I guess I could get used to it. So…you're coming to England, too? I hope you're not expecting me to do all your work for you there, too, Daniel. I'm done being your assistant! Even if you did get me my job back."  
He laughed, "Understood, Betty. I don't really want you to be my assistant anymore. But, I may have an opening for the position of girlfriend if you're interested?"  
"What are the qualifications?" she smiled as he led her towards the living room and sat her down next to him on the sofa.  
"Hmmm…let me think. I'm looking for someone with long, black hair, and beautiful brown eyes, and a smile that lights up the room, and…"he leaned down and kissed her, "Oh, yeah, who kisses like you. Well, what do you know, I think I've found the perfect applicant, Betty! You're hired! How soon can you start?"  
"I believe I just might be available immediately, actually. But what are the benefits? Do you have good dental?" she teased.  
He rolled his eyes, "Excellent. Lots of good perks, in fact. Let me give you an example." He smirked.  
________________________________________  
Chapter 3: Chapter 3  
________________________________________  
I Need You,  
part 3  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty! Too bad!  
________________________________________  
"Betty, are you sure about this?" Hilda seemed hesitant to let go of her sister.  
"Yes, Hilda. I've never been more sure of anything in my life! Don't worry. I'll be fine. You can all come visit really soon. Justin, I can't wait to see you, honey."  
"Summer can't come soon enough." He hugged his aunt, trying not to cry.  
She hugged her father, as he handed her a bag with food, "Papi! I love you."  
"Te quero, Betty. Daniel, please take good care of her."  
Daniel nodded as he, too, said goodbye to Betty's family, and they both got into the town car. "We'll call as soon as we get there and leave a message. You can call us back as soon as you wake up, guys. Don't worry, the Meade jet will get us there safe and sound and pretty quick, too. It'll only take seven hours.  
I'll make sure Betty gets to London and stays safe once she's there, I promise." He started to put his arm around her protectively, but felt her flinch slightly.  
Ignacio hugged Daniel and patted his back, "Thank you for taking care of her, Daniel. We're happy she's going with you. We know you'll take good care of her."  
Betty pursed her lips slightly, "Papi, I am a grown woman. I mean, I'm glad Daniel's coming, too. But, I can actually take care of myself, you know!"  
"Dios mio! Yes, mijah, I know! You're a big girl. But England is very far away. I like the idea of you having someone who loves you to be there with you when I can't be. Is that so terrible for a father?"  
She shook her head and hugged him again, "No. Of course not, papi. I love you, too. I'm really going to miss everyone. Take care!" She tried not to cry as the car pulled away and she waved to her family.  
Daniel squeezed her hand, "Nervous?"  
She nodded, "A little. You?"  
"Yeah. Sort of. It's going to be really weird working for someone else and yet seeing you in the building.  
I guess we'll just have to find a place to meet for lunch that's close by the office or something, since I promised Mr. Dunne we wouldn't uh…make a deal of being together at work."  
"Lunch?" she smiled.  
He shrugged, "Sometimes."  
"How long do you have in the Mode UK flat before you have to find your own place?"  
"Two months, maybe three."  
"This is a big deal for you, too, Daniel. Are YOU sure about your decision? I don't want you to make this big move and then hate me for it…"  
"Betty, stop, okay? I'm just a nervous flyer, that's all. You know that.  
No, I don't regret anything. I think we both only stayed at Mode as long as we did to be together if we're completely honest with ourselves. This makes perfect sense to me.  
I'm ready for a new adventure in my life and I can't think of anybody else I'd rather be with to do that than my best friend, and… now, girlfriend." He kissed her briefly, then looked at her hand in his.  
"How about you? Are you sure you don't mind me coming along on YOUR adventure? Horning in on your new life in London? You kind of sounded like you did with your dad back there.  
I know you don't need me as some babysitter like he made it seem, Betty, but I do kind of like the idea that your dad trusts me with his little 'mijah'. Is that such a bad thing?"  
"No, but…"  
"Go ahead, Betty. Tell me how you are your own person and you don't want me getting in your way. Look, if this is a mistake, if I'm just holding you back, I wish you would just come right out and say so."  
She put her hand on his, shaking her head, "Daniel. Stop being such a girl!"  
"Excuse me? I'm sorry, is that supposed to be funny? Maybe you've got me confused with my former brother or something, but I can definitely assure you I'm all man.  
Given the fact that we've almost slept together, I would think you might at least give me the benefit of the doubt.  
Jesus, you've practically seen me naked even before we started going out. If you didn't just piss me off with that little comment, I might be inclined to prove it to you right now! What the hell, Betty? In what way exactly am I such a GIRL, I'd like to know?"  
She rolled her eyes, "Um, that little tirade for one thing! All I meant was you are being really sensitive, that's all!" She shook her head,  
"And if that was supposed to entice me to sleep with you, I think you'd better work on your 'game', Daniel! News flash, threatening to show your uh…manhood to a girl is not exactly a turn on!"  
He laughed, "Well, it is for some girls. Sorry, Betty. I was just mad. You hurt my feelings. Which, I guess only proved your point. Okay, okay. I get it. I'm being oversensitive. I'm sorry, I just really don't want to come with you if you don't want me, that's all. I feel like the unpopular kid who invited himself to the party or something."  
"That's ridiculous! If I didn't want you to come I would have said so. I'm happy you're moving to London. As long as it's really what you want to do, Daniel.  
I guess it's just going to be strange for both of us for a while, anyway. It's a huge change. In a lot of ways."  
He nodded, dropping her hand and looking out the window, "I know. I just hope it's a change you really want, Betty."  
"I do, Daniel. I'm just…not ready to completely change everything, you know?"  
"Yeah, I know. I understand."  
"Do you?" She looked at him meaningfully.  
He glanced back over his shoulder and nodded, "I do, Betty. I get it. It's a lot of things changing all at once and us sleeping together is kind of the last change you aren't quite ready for yet.  
I'm not a moron. Or a morally bankrupt sex fiend or something. I'm your best friend and I love you. I'll wait as long as you need me to. It's okay. Really." He looked at her and smiled, putting his hand on top of hers and patting it.  
She looked close to tears. "So, you understand why I need to be in my own place?"  
"Of course. Not even I expect you to just come live with me, Betty. I mean we only started dating a few weeks ago. It's a little soon to move in together, even for me."  
"Thanks for understanding, Daniel. I do…love you. Really, I hope you know that."  
"I do. I love you, too." He kissed her briefly and smiled, then went back to staring out the window.  
She seemed to want to continue the kiss, but sensed he was unwilling for some reason, so Betty nervously looked down at her hands.  
After a few minutes, he took one of her hands in his, "Hey."  
"Hmmm?" She looked at him.  
"You know you're going to do really great, right?"  
She grinned. "Are we switching roles now? You're giving me a pep talk?"  
He nodded, "Sure, that's how it works, you know. Just like the Brits drive on the opposite side of the road, over there, I'm going to be the one to lift you up instead of you having to do it for me all the time. Does that sound okay?"  
She nodded and hugged him, whispering, "Is it still okay if I keep hugging you?" He squeezed her gently, "You bet! Your hugs are the only thing that kept me going sometimes, Betty.  
They always make me feel better. Keep them coming, please." They held each other for several minutes, until she finally let him go.  
She didn't really know when exactly, but there seemed to be a definite point during the hug that the energy she was giving to Daniel started coming back to her from him.  
"Hey, sleeping beauty! Wake up! Betty. Betty?" Daniel tried to rouse her when the plane landed in the private section of Heathrow. "Mmmm" She shifted in her sleep.  
He touched her cheek gently. God, he wanted her, he thought. Not just in a sexual way, but he realized just how much Betty Suarez had completely taken over his heart and mind in the last four years.  
Everything he did anymore seemed somehow intertwined with her. His family was so much better now, thanks in a large part to this woman. He had a great relationship with his mother. They spoke often and warmly about anything and everything. He was proud of how far she had come in her career, and how well she had been doing in her sobriety.  
He knew that was in large part to Betty and her influence. Then there was his relationship with Alexis, his once brother. Betty had been the one to insist Daniel find out about her and get to know her as a woman.  
They spoke often on the phone and computer, and he often Skyped with both Alexis and DJ. Another situation that Betty had helped. He had tried to ignore DJ and insist his arrival in New York was nothing but a scam at first.  
Thanks to Betty, he had fallen in love with the boy he thought at first to be his son, but soon learned was his nephew. That had really wrought a huge change in Daniel and how he dealt with everything. Thinking you are a parent changes your perspective of yourself and your life in enormous ways, he found. For one thing, he stopped being so selfish with everyone around him.  
Then of course, there was Tyler. The half-brother he had first been simply annoyed and jealous of, then hated for a long time, and finally ignored, until Betty had convinced him to get to know.  
Eventually, he realized how unfair he was being and now he discovered he had another ally, another friend, an actual brother, since technically, Alex was gone.  
Betty stirred again, and again, he tried gently to wake her. Finally, he could resist no longer. He leaned down and kissed her, with all the love and warmth he felt for her.  
She responded, and he felt her arms slip around his back as she kissed him back quite purposefully. Finally, she pulled away, looking up at him, somewhat puzzled, "Daniel?"  
"Sorry, I tried to wake you several times, Betty. Finally, I just figured you looked so pretty, maybe I'd try the sleeping beauty thing. You must have been exhausted. You practically slept through the whole flight. We're here. Welcome to London."  
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Chapter 4: Chapter 4  
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I Need You  
Part 4  
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Ugly Betty or its' characters!  
I HAD originally just written this one as a 2-part story, but glad to see it has a bit of a fan base, so upon request, I am expanding it for a bit, at least. I'll just sort of see where this one leads me for now. Glad you're enjoying it! PLEASE REVIEW!  
"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow? I can come pick you up later and we'll have lunch or something. Just call me when you wake up. Get some rest, Betty." He went to kiss her on the cheek, but hesitated.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Not really. Would you mind…staying here with me tonight, Daniel? It's just-you know, everything is so strange and new and it would be nice to have you here to um, lean on. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, though."  
He smirked, "You mean, you don't know if you can trust me? I think I'm pretty exhausted, right now, so I'm probably safe enough tonight, Betty. Not all of us slept the whole flight."  
She blushed, "I didn't snore or anything too disgusting, did I?"  
He laughed, and leaned closer, "No, but you do talk a lot in your sleep, don't you, babe?"  
"I did? What did I say?"  
"Just that you thought I was hot."  
She rolled her eyes, "I did not!"  
"Yes you did!" he teased.  
She started taking her suitcase into the bedroom, ignoring him, "I did not say that!" she repeated, as she started unpacking and putting clothes into the partially furnished flat. The furnishings were somewhat dated and not in the best condition, but fairly clean and orderly, at least, Betty noticed, gratefully.  
She had only been able to view places online before she signed a lease. She only signed one for three months, unsure of how well things would go with the new job or what the place would be like when she got there.  
The landlord had been pleasant enough on the phone and so far, it seemed fine. But she was so tired, she was happy to just be done traveling. Daniel seemed unsure of where to go. Suddenly, he stuck his head in the door, "Hey, I need to go tell the driver to let me bring my stuff up here if I'm staying, though. I'll be right back, Betty."  
She nodded wearily and just collapsed onto the bed, sighing. She was too tired to do much talking. She was almost grateful for the excuse the time difference gave her to not have to do anything other than a quick text home to let her family know she had arrived safely and would call them as soon as she had woken up the next day (or more accurately, later that day).  
When Daniel finally had made it back up the stairs with his luggage, he found her sleeping soundly.  
He found an extra comforter in the closet and spread it over her. Then, he went into the bathroom, and unpacked a towel and some sweatpants and tee shirt to go shower and brush his teeth.  
After trying to unwind from the long trip, Daniel finally decided against the extremely uncomfortable couch, with springs sticking out of it in Betty's new living room.  
He sighed, telling himself she had asked him to stay. He had no intentions of taking advantage of the situation, so he felt he wouldn't offend her if he slept in the same bed.  
After some back and forth with his conscience, he decided the safest course of action was to get completely under the covers, since she was already asleep on top of the bedspread.  
He only very briefly considered taking her clothes off and putting night clothes on her.  
She would be fine, sleeping in her clothes for one night, he reasoned and there was no way in hell he was going through the torture he had gone through that night she had come to his apartment in New York, soaked to the skin, he thought!  
He knew Betty needed time and space to deal with her new life in London and to adjust to all the changes that were occurring at the same time. Intellectually, he completely was on board with all they had discussed that night.  
She had flirted and so had he and since he told her he was coming with her and she didn't have to choose between him and a new career, she had seemed blissfully happy, mostly. But also sometimes a little overwhelmed and for want of a better expression, somewhat freaked out about it all, especially about his feelings towards her.  
It was as if she didn't believe him when he told her he loved her. Not that he totally blamed her surprise and doubt. It wasn't as if he hadn't had four years to decide to spring that news on her.  
And he had waited until right as she was about to tell him she was leaving to go live in a foreign country, probably figuring they'd never see each other again, other than on holidays when she visited her family back in New York or something.  
Then he went and sprung the news to her that he wanted to date her and got his feelings hurt just because she didn't immediately jump into his arms or something.  
Wait, she actually did sort of do that, didn't she? Well, at least, at first. She definitely kissed him back big time when he had surprised her by laying one on her in his office, he remembered fondly.  
That kiss had sustained him through many lonely, difficult nights for the next week and even after their little 'breakthrough', when they (meaning she) had decided not to jump into a physical relationship until at least they had decided they both were going to be able to make London their permanent home.  
It made sense, hypothetically, he knew. It would be foolish and rash to rush into sex, only to find one of them didn't really like living in London enough to stay and then have to end the relationship.  
They both knew it would completely end any possible hope they would have of remaining friends, should that end up being the scenario that played out.  
Finally, he sighed, and closed his eyes, trying to let his thoughts just fade away into oblivion for the 'night' and get some rest.  
Just as he started to feel himself drift off, he felt Betty's warmth and saw her arm fly over onto his stomach.  
"Mmmm" She sighed, "Daniel? Are you here?" she said, clearly still more than half asleep.  
"Yeah, Betty. I'm here."  
"Mmmm….Good. Love you."  
"I love you, too, Betty. Goodnight, honey."  
"Goodnight. Sleep tight."  
"Yeah." Krap! Like THAT was going to ever happen, now, he thought, rolling his eyes to God, thinking he knew he was surely being punished now for his past as Betty's hand sleepily moved back and forth on his stomach.  
He tried to somehow block out how crazy she was driving him now, and just go to sleep, but it was not to be. She snuggled closer still, and he could feel her hot breath, which smelled like the peanut butter cup she had eaten on the plane, he thought, smiling.  
He grabbed her hand in his, trying to still it from innocently wandering where it should not be headed. He knew she was sleeping, but he had no intention of waking up in a puddle of sweat, because she had somehow grabbed him in her sleep or something.  
"Daniel."  
"Hmm?" Damn! He had just started fading again! She was like a newborn or something, he thought, groaning, inwardly.  
Mainly, he knew himself enough to know his resistance to her was getting dangerously low at this point in his current state of exhaustion.  
He wondered briefly if the couch would be really that terrible after all. He also contemplated taking another shower, perhaps this time with the temperature quite a bit colder.  
Eventually, he did drift off, however. Then, he woke with a sudden start, and his eyes popped open, as he realized that Betty was now totally wrapped up in his arms, and he in hers.  
He literally didn't know what to do in this situation. Anyway he moved, he would surely wake her and given their positions, with his hand cradling her breasts and hers a bit too far south on his own anatomy, he wouldn't blame her a bit for jumping to the conclusion that he had indeed taken full advantage of her in her sleep.  
He took a shallow breath and moved his fingers, one at a time from her and slowly and carefully moved hers off of him and back to her side, praying the whole time he wouldn't disturb her.  
She sighed, and before he knew what was happening, she turned and kissed him. He tried to push her away gently, but he felt her tongue and her arms snaking around his neck.  
Oh, hell, he thought, this was really not fair!  
He took a deep breath, and for a few amazing minutes, he did actually keep the kiss going, slipping his hands around her waist and he briefly allowed himself to get completely lost in her scent, in the feel of her kiss and how she seemed to not be hesitating, just as she hadn't that first time in his office when he had surprised her.  
Ever since then, however, he had felt she was holding back, and he had sensed apprehension, and what he could only categorize as fear in her kisses.  
Now, once again, she seemed free and oh my God, so damn sexy. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed (and more than he or anyone who had ever known him would have thought he had, given his past) to push her away.  
"Betty?" he said softly. She sighed and just as she started to reach for him again, he said louder this time, "God, Betty, you have to STOP, honey! Please!"  
Slowly, he saw her eyes flutter as he could see her trying to focus, "Daniel? You ARE here? Really here? I'm not just dreaming?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. I'm here. But if you don't um…lay off, I'm seriously going to either be on top of you or need six cold showers, babe.  
God, not to complain, but you're a little handsy in your sleep. I'm sorry, but I can't sleep on that instrument of torture in the living room!  
I couldn't even sit on it without getting goosed and I'm SO tired. But you keep grabbing me and kissing me in your sleep, baby. I'm getting too tired to put up a fight. I swear, I was just about to go with it."  
She laughed softly, "I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm okay, now. I'm not scared, anymore if you want to go to your place so I don't keep trying to molest you in my sleep."  
He shook his head and closed his eyes, "No, I'm too tired to go anywhere, Betty. It's your turn to stand guard against me. You got to sleep on the plane and here for hours while I stood guard against wandering Betty hands.  
Now you can stay awake and either go in the other room, or take your own cold shower or take your chances in here with me. It's up to you, but I'm sorry, I'm getting some sleep!  
So, if I grope you in my sleep, I apologize! But you've been warned. I'm no longer responsible for my own hands or mouth.  
"Mouth?"  
"Yeah. You kissed me in YOUR sleep, Betty. That one really got me going, so look out for my lips, too. You are welcome to stay in here, but like I said, it's at your own risk! You got me a little worked up."  
She laughed, "Maybe I'll go in the kitchen for a while and see if there is any food in the cabinets or just order some. Are you hungry?"  
"Maybe later. Too tired right now. Save me some of whatever you get. Gnight."  
She smiled, "Good night, Daniel, and thanks."  
He looked up at her sleepily, "For what?"  
She looked at him from the doorway, "For…being my knight in shining armor. For being here for me, and…for not pushing me.  
Even when apparently my subconscious wants to be pushed. Some sleeping beauty I turned out to be. Sounds more like sleeping slutty or something. I'm sorry."  
"Forgiven, now go, leave me, princess. Your knight here needs a nap." He smiled and nodded off as she left.  
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Chapter 5: Chapter 5  
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I Need You,  
part 5  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
A/N I am really starting to like this Daniel! I know Betty (or me, actually) tortured him a lot in that last chapter, but we all know he sort of deserved it for past sins against womankind, right? I think I have some pretty fun ideas for where I want to take this story! Hope you enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW! The more reviews I get; the more likely I am willing to sacrifice my sleep!  
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It was three o'clock in the afternoon, Greenwich Mean Time (London time, in other words) when Daniel woke to a combination of sounds; Betty opening and closing kitchen cabinets and drawers, as well as her familiar high-pitched, happy voice talking to several different people (sometimes all at once, it sounded like) on the phone, as well as the unmistakable clang of Big Ben, chiming three times.  
He rubbed his eyes and walked out of her bedroom sleepily, only wearing his sweatpants. "Hey, Betty. What's going on? Oh, great, did you get some food? What did you order? I hear their Chinese take out's pretty good over here."  
She looked at him with her eyes widened, "Daniel! Where's your shirt?" She had been talking to Justin and he started laughing on the other end, "Um, AB? Listen, I'll let you help Daniel look for his shirt, okay? Have fun, you guys!"  
Betty distractedly mumbled, "Okay, Justin. Love you, too, honey!" and hung up, still staring at Daniel, and blushing.  
Daniel shrugged, unaffected by Betty's somewhat exaggerated reaction to his state of undress as far as he was concerned. "I was hot. YOU got me all… sweaty, Betty.  
Look, if you can't handle it, I'll go find another shirt from my suitcase and put it on."  
"Okay. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."  
He grinned to himself as he went back slowly into the bedroom and found another tee shirt to put on. He washed up in the bathroom and made sure to come out into the kitchen while he put his shirt back on next to her.  
He walked over to Betty, and reached around her, grabbing an apple that she had brought on the flight, and took a bite, somewhat invading her space as he did.  
"So, what'dya get to eat? Dim sum, beef and broccoli, what all's here?"  
She still seemed somewhat distracted by Daniel's display earlier, but she busied herself, pointing out the food she had ordered.  
"Okay, right, I got the beef and broccoli I know you like and some dumplings and some fried rice, oh and try these sweet and sour prawn balls I got. They're delicious!"  
"What the hell's a prawn? And why do I want it sweet and sour? Is it meat? 'Balls' doesn't sound too appetizing to me! It's not cat, is it?" he made a face, as she picked it up with chopsticks and waved it under his nose.  
"No, silly. It's shrimp, basically. They just call them prawns here. I don't know why. Try it. You like shrimp. Believe me, their a lot better than snails!" She popped it into his mouth, laughing at his expression.  
He chewed it the best he could, considering it was a fairly large piece. Once he got done swallowing it, he shrugged, "Not bad, I guess. You're right. It is shrimp. I think they just like to make up names for stuff here.  
Please tell me why they always say things the exact opposite the way we do in America, huh? I mean, for instance we say garage, with an 'uh', which to me, sounds more proper or fancy or whatever, but for some crazy reason they call it GAY-Raj.  
What the hell is that, anyway? And don't get me started on al-u-min-ee-um. Where did the stupid extra syllable come from?"  
"Well, they probably think the same thing about Americans, Daniel." She laughed, as she picked at the dumplings, and fed him some.  
They took turns eating, and feeding one another in their own patented routine, for several minutes, knowing exactly what each liked, then Betty pointed to the living room,  
"I have some chairs to sit in over there. I agree with you about the couch, though. It's seen better days!"  
"Yeah, and I think those days were back when Wilhelmina still had her original face and…whatever other factory parts she came installed with-before Marc started injecting her with Botox on a weekly basis, like maybe 1985 or so?"  
"Daniel! That's so mean!" She laughed along with him, however.  
"I honestly can't believe we'll never have to deal with that woman anymore! Or Marc, or Amanda."  
Her eyes narrowed, "Well, I'm sure you'll have to still deal with Amanda somewhat, Daniel."  
"Betty, I'm definitely not still seeing her from across the ocean, am I?  
You don't need to be jealous. I told you we ended it a while back, when she started seeing Tyler. Well, okay, SHE ended it. But I agreed."  
"Eventually. But that's what I meant, Daniel. If Amanda stays with Tyler, and he's your brother..."  
"Half-brother."  
"Still."  
He shook himself, "Yeah, oh, God! What if he actually marries her or something? That would be just too creepy."  
He shook himself, "Yeah, oh, God! What if he actually marries her or something? That would be just too creepy."  
"You mean to have a sister-in-law you slept with off and on for years?"  
"Well, I guess sister-in-law is still better than when we thought my dad and Fey might be her parents-Yuck!" He shook himself.  
"Yeah. I think that might be almost as strange as having a brother you thought had died, but discovered he had a sex-change operation instead." She rolled her eyes.  
"Point taken. My family is pretty out there, I suppose. No wonder I love your family so much, Betty. They're so nice and normal compared to mine!"  
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you. I love them, too. They all said to say hello, by the way. And papi expects his weekly spy report from you I think." She gave him a somewhat dirty look.  
He rolled his eyes, "Betty, I'm not spying on you for your dad, I promise. I just told him I'd try and keep an eye on you, keep you safe, that's all.  
It's a guy thing. He misses you. He feels like me being here helps him still know you're okay, even with him being so far away, you know? It doesn't mean he thinks you aren't a grown up."  
"What I think is you two were conspiring. I just found out that both you and Bobby were spying on me for papi when I lived in New York with Amanda, too! Were you EVER going to tell me that, Daniel?"  
"Betty, Bobby and I were not SPYING on you. Your dad just called us sometimes when he was concerned because he didn't know where you were. I mean, honestly, a lot of times you were with me, anyway, if we were working or just hanging out together.  
I'll have you know I covered for you, in other words, LIED for you when you went over to Henry's on more than one occasion, by the way!  
And Matt's a few times, too, until you finally let your dad know what was going on with both of them. So I hope you had a good time with them!"  
She bit her lip, and looked down at the counter, "Thank you, Daniel. I'm sorry you had to lie for me. I guess I didn't realize how much my dad worried about me being in the city."  
"Well, you are his youngest daughter, Betty. He knows what a dangerous place New York can be for a girl on her own. London, too."  
She rolled her eyes again, becoming agitated, "I know, Daniel, papi already called me and gave me all these crazy warnings about how terrible London is and he tried to make me eat Haggis, which smelled REALLY bad!  
But, I'll survive, okay? Without my dad and without YOU following me around like I'm a school girl or something! I'm not a child!"  
He nodded silently, just letting her get her anger out of her system. He knew she was scared about the move and she was clearly frustrated at being seen as a helpless little girl by the men in her life. "Are you done?" he said quietly.  
"Daniel, you know I HATE it when you do that!"  
"What? You mean when I don't let you get me with your crazy little freak-outs? Look, Betty. I know you're really scared, okay? Hell, so am I!  
We're in a foreign country, for Christ's sake! We needed passports when we got here. It's a big deal; I get it. But, like you said, we'll survive.  
I figure, if we can survive four years at Mode with all the crazy stuff there, including Wilhelmina Slater and all her insane schemes, my sister/brother's return from the dead, then her throwing poor Christine down the stairs, my dad dying after Willi tried to marry him, her stealing dad's sperm after he died, Mom killing Fey, after Fey tried to poison my mom, lets' see did I leave anything out?" he took a breath.  
"Hell, Betty, after all THAT do you honestly think a bunch of tea-drinkers wearing HATS is going to slow us down? I say, we've got this town wired. It should be a piece of cake here in comparison to Mode, you know?"  
She couldn't help but laugh with him now. He hugged her, and she once again, felt as if he were the one giving her strength. She smiled up at him. "I'm sorry I got upset, Daniel. I guess I am sort of freaking out.  
Thanks for helping me see things from the big picture. You're right. I'm glad my papi feels better with you being here. I do, too.  
We will conquer London, together. It's still Daniel and Betty, against the world-only British style!"  
He kissed her cheek, and held her chin, "Yep. We STILL make a great team, Betty! We always will, babe.  
But I am NEVER sleeping with you again! At least, not until…you know, you're ready for us to actually be really sleeping together." he teased.  
She blushed, "I'm sorry about that, Daniel. I know I kind of thrash around and talk a lot in my sleep. I have been told.  
He helped her with the take-away cartons, and held the door to the refrigerator open for her over her head. As she ducked under his arm, he pulled her towards him,  
"Listen, I think I'd better go get settled at my place. Are you alright now? If you get scared at all, start hearing weird noises you can't identify or see big British rats or anything at all strange, don't hesitate to call, though, okay?  
I mean it, even if it's the middle of the night, just call me and I'll be here. I think as long as there's not a bunch of traffic, we should only be about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes tops away from each other, if I googled it right, anyway."  
Her eyes looked somewhat sad, "You're leaving? Now? I thought we were going to watch some 'tellie', Daniel."  
"We will, Betty. Just not tonight. I'm beat. I need to get my stuff put away, and make my own calls and look at the expectations for my new job. Remember I start two days before you do, so I want to be prepared.  
I don't want to get fired on the first job that doesn't have my name on the building, you know? Plus, I…just think it's best if I leave now."  
"Okay." She said, quietly, not really seeming to understand why he felt the need to go.  
He held her by her shoulders, "Betty, look, I'm sorry, I'm trying to give you your space and let you spread your wings here. But I think me being here is…"  
She stood next to him, looking up, "I like you being here, Daniel."  
He sighed, "God, Betty. You're really sending me mixed signals here. Stay, but don't touch. Stay here and sleep with me, Daniel and let me cuddle with you. Then you paw at me in your sleep… You're driving me crazy! You know this, right?"  
He had to laugh, in spite of his obvious frustration, because she was fluttering her eyelashes at him and smiling, somewhat pathetically.  
"Please, Daniel? Stay? I promise, I won't touch you…much." She giggled, then shoved him lightly, "You didn't need to go parading around with your shirt off earlier. I know that was to try and get back at me, Daniel."  
"Maybe a little. You had it coming." He laughed, and put his arm around her, as he walked to the one very large chair that didn't have springs sticking out of it and sat down, with her slightly on his lap.  
Once they were seated, he shook his head, "Okay, but I'm going to need you to keep your hands where I can see them at all times, handsy girl. And you know that Bambi routine only works on me once, right?"  
She smiled, "You're the one who's always making with the puppy dog eyes, Daniel; not me. Since I wear glasses, no one usually sees my eyes, anyway."  
"Well now, THAT is a real shame, Betty." He took off her glasses and set them on the small side table that had an old lamp on it.  
"Because your eyes are really beautiful. Just like you." He held her face for a moment, then leaned down for a kiss and noticed when she responded, she didn't seem to hesitate this time.  
A/N: I promise, they WILL get out of Betty's flat next chapter! I just wanted to establish the new dynamic of their role reversal, with her depending on Daniel more, instead of Betty always rescuing him.  
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Chapter 6: Chapter 6  
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I Need You  
Part 6  
Disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes only. (So hope it entertains you!)  
Daniel definitely felt as if he was being punished for his poor treatment of women in the past now! Karma, he wondered? Just as he could sense Betty 'giving in' somewhat as they kissed, his phone rang.  
Seriously? He felt like he couldn't catch a break! He reluctantly picked it up from the table and mouthed 'sorry' to Betty, as she got up to go to the kitchen. "This is Daniel." He practically growled, upset at the disturbance.  
"Yes, I know. This is your sister, Alexis. Geez, you sound pissed off! Jet lag got you grumpy or something? So, how do you like Europe so far, Danny?"  
He sighed, "Well, I WAS liking it just fine a minute ago, as I finally felt like I was making some headway with Betty!"  
"Sorry, Daniel! Hey, how was I supposed to know you were trying to put the moves on your would-be girlfriend?  
You know they have these fancy buttons you can push on your phone nowadays so they are silent if you don't want to be disturbed. Don't get mad at me just because you don't know how to use your own technology!  
The reason I called is to see when you start your new job and if you would mind checking in on Mode UK for me? I told Mom, the guy we have there may need to be replaced. He doesn't seem like he knows what he's doing.  
He seriously can NOT stick to a budget and he goes through his company credit card like it's nothing. I'm worried he's somehow screwing the company out of money at this point."  
"Look, can't somebody else do that, Alexis? I'm starting my own job here to get away from Meade Publications, you know?"  
"Yeah, sure. I understand, Daniel, believe me. I sympathize. But, until you change your last name to McGilicutty or something, and no longer stand to benefit from the company's success or lose your shirt again from its failures, I just thought you might want to make sure we don't have another Connor Owens working for us there in London, that's all!"  
"Really? It's that bad? Who hired him?"  
"Well, actually, Dad did, years ago. Mom said he used to be fine. But recently, there have been rumors he may have a gambling problem and he's been acting kind of-I don't know, fishy.  
The few conversations I've had with him when I could actually catch him on the phone have made me a little suspicious about what's going on over there, you know?  
I was hoping you could get him in a face-to-face and see if you think I need to come there and replace him. I need your honest assessment of the situation before I drag DJ out of school and leave my own business, you know? It should only take an hour or so out of your time and it might save me a lot of needless hassle and expense."  
"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing my nephew, if you do end up coming here, Sis. I was planning on coming to you two sometime soon when I had a day off. Alexis…are you-crying? What's wrong?"  
"Nothing! Don't make a big deal out of it, okay? I just-liked you calling me 'Sis', that's all.  
I think that's the first time you've done that without sarcasm in your voice. Thanks, Daniel. It means a lot to me that you're finally accepting me for who I am.  
I don't know if I EVER would have gotten that from Dad. I guess knowing Betty really has changed you."  
Daniel's voice softened, "Sure, Alexis. If it means anything, I DO think of you as my sister, now. No sarcasm whatsoever. What's kind of cool is-I also don't have to miss my big brother so much, either.  
It's like I have all our memories with you as Alex, and yet, I have a new sister, with all the good things about having a sister, like…I could ask you advice about what you think a girl would like to do on a first date in a foreign country so she wouldn't be scared."  
Alexis laughed, "Man, you are really pathetic, Danny. You're so desperate for dating advice; you're asking me for MY opinion? You poor guy! You've really got it bad, huh?"  
He whispered, even though Betty had gone to take a shower while he was on the phone. "Yeah! She wants to take things slow, which I'm totally supportive of…at least in theory. But then when we got here, she was all…'stay here with me, I'm scared, Daniel.'"  
"Was that supposed to be Betty?" she laughed.  
"Are you done? So, anyway, she falls asleep, and I'm trying to be good, so I start to go lay down on the couch but it's like some kind of barbed wire monstrosity, so I figure, she asked me to stay with her; I'll just stay under the covers, since she's on top and I'll keep on my side of the bed, right?"  
"I smell disaster."  
"Just listen, will you? Then she starts grabbing at me and KISSES me in her sleep! I was so freaked out I couldn't believe I actually was able to pull her off me and wake her up to tell her to lay off before I couldn't stop myself! It was a nightmare!  
Then, just now, I tried to leave after we ate something and she asked me to stay again. Is she…trying to tell me she wants me but she's embarrassed to say it, is that what's going on? I definitely can't read women sometimes. All I know is, I can't keep taking cold showers forever!"  
"YOU actually pushed her away? That I think I'd like to see the tape of to believe!"  
"Seriously! I should be knighted by the Queen for that one. It took more will power than I ever thought I had, I can tell you! Now, I don't know if she wants me to spend the night with her, but still not do anything. I'm so confused."  
"Just ask her, you goofball! She's not a Rubic's cube! You don't have to read any signals. Just talk to the girl. Tell her how you feel and ask her how she feels and what she wants, what she expects.  
Honestly, I think I should either write a book or start holding seminars on 'I'm a woman now, but I speak Martian, since I used to be a man."  
"Yeah, well, the title's a little long, but you may have something, there…SIS! Thanks, Alexis. I'll go by Mode UK next week and talk to this guy, but I still want to see you and DJ, regardless, okay? I miss you both."  
"Aw, you're such a softy, Danny!"  
"Hey, you're the one who was crying!"  
"Shut up! Seriously, good luck with Betty. I'm proud of you for going after her. She's good people and she's definitely made you a much better man! I really hope you two make things work. You deserve it.  
Betty's the best thing that ever happened to you, Daniel. Just keep showing you care about her and she'll see you're sincere. Right now, she's just having a hard time believing you're not just trying to get into her pants."  
"Well, I AM trying to get into her pants! That's the problem. But, that's not all I want. I want a real relationship, too. Just not a celibate one!"  
Alexis laughed, "Okay, tiger, calm down! Maybe take up Yoga or Karate for now, or get a punching bag or some 'adult entertainment' videos or something until she's comfortable enough with the situation. It may be cold showers for a while until she's ready, though, Daniel. You definitely don't want to push the girl if she isn't certain."  
"I know. I don't. I just told her, don't expect me to lie down in the same bed and 'snuggle' with her."  
"Believe it or not, Daniel, you do actually know HOW to act like a gentleman. Mom taught us. We just both chose to ignore that and take whatever we wanted from women, because a lot of them were easy, so we figured, hell, why not?"  
"I see your point. Thanks, Alexis. I'll see you soon, I hope?"  
"Yeah, I should be able to get away sometime this month or the beginning of next month at the latest. Take care.  
Welcome to this side of the pond, buddy! Hey, Mom said to call her when you woke up. She got your text that you were alive, but she wants to talk to you, too. Bye, Danny! Love you."  
He laughed, "I love you, too, Sis! Give my love to DJ."  
Daniel listened to see if Betty was still in the shower, and heard her going into her room, so he quickly called his mother.  
"Hey, Mom. It's me, Daniel. I just got off the phone with Alexis."  
"That's good, dear. She's excited to have you closer to her and DJ. She misses you."  
"She said that? Huh. Yeah, she just told me she was happy that I called her 'Sis' without saying it ironically or whatever. I never meant to hurt her. But, what's this about the Editor at Mode UK? She wants me to go scope the guy out for her or something. She's afraid he's embezzling because of gambling, maybe?"  
"Well, that's the rumor, although I tend to take those with a grain of salt. If I were to believe the rumors around here, you and Betty should have been married off years ago!"  
"Really? People said that about us? I mean, I know Marc was always calling us 'lovers' or whatever, but I just figured he was jealous because we were friends and he thought, well knew I listened to Betty and gave her preference over him, even though he'd been at Mode longer.  
I even think he had some resentment against her on Amanda's behalf, since they're so close. Wilhelmina, too. Speaking of Willi dearest…how's that going? I'm glad you two haven't killed each other yet!"  
She laughed, "Not yet, no. I'll let you know if I need a new lawyer. I don't think I can get off with temporary insanity twice. Tyler is actually helping buffer that one.  
The fact that she eventually came around and decided not to press charges against him helps me not to hate her so much, I suppose. Even though she played him and got him upset in the first place, she did try and intervene and took the bullet for me, so I figure that makes us even somewhat.  
I'm taking Yoga and learning to try and de-stress."  
"That's funny. That's what Alexis told me to do to relieve my uh…sexual tension over Betty. I don't know if I see myself doing something called 'downward or upward dog or Cobra', though!"  
Claire laughed, "Well, yes. That might be somewhat awkward for you, dear. Especially since most classes are full of women primarily. Perhaps not the place you want to be when you're trying to abstain from sex! I could send you a book or something. Or have a private MALE trainer come and work with you."  
"I don't know about that, Mom. Sounds more like something out of Marc's fantasies. I think maybe boxing or jogging sounds more like my speed, thanks. Glad it's helping you to NOT kill Wilhelmina, though. Uh, how is…Tyler doing? Is he staying sober?"  
"Yes, dear. He's doing well in AA. He got his first month's chip yesterday. I'm very proud of him. Amanda is…helping to distract him."  
"Okay. I'm not sure I want to hear about that."  
"You aren't still upset that their dating, are you? You know, you really aren't allowed to have your cake and eat it, too, Daniel."  
"No, it's not that. I was never really jealous because of Amanda. Honestly, it was just that Tyler seemed to be getting all your attention, he made me feel like some old fat guy, with the modeling thing, and all the women fawning over him, then I find out he's your son, too!  
It was just too much when Amanda told me she wanted to date him. I felt like he was taking my place or something. Mainly with you, though, Mom."  
"Daniel, I am really sorry that I didn't tell you about him, son. I know it was wrong of me to hide him. I wish I had just been able to be honest about the whole thing in the first place.  
Hindsight is definitely 20/20. You must know, though, no one will ever replace you, Daniel. You are and will always be my sweet little boy. I'm so happy you and Betty will finally be together, too. How are things going?"  
He sighed, and spoke softly, "Um…like I said, frustrating, Mom. I love her so much, but I don't want to rush her. I don't do patience very well, I'm afraid. I'm trying, really, I am. I'm willing to wait as long as she needs me to, at least I SAY I'm willing. I am not used to waiting, though and it's not easy for me."  
"Well, I always did spoil you, Daniel. All you had to do was look at me with those adorable blue eyes like your father's and you were so cute, I'd usually give in and let you have whatever you wanted.  
Unfortunately, when you grew up, that worked for you with women, too. A bit too much, I'm afraid. So, you've never HAD to wait.  
But Betty is someone that's worth waiting for. You need to learn some patience. I'm sorry I wasn't a disciplined enough mother to better teach it to you. It's not exactly my strong suit, either."  
"Mom, you're too hard on youself. You did a good job. You're doing great at Mode. Look how successful Hot Flash is now! Alexis and I didn't support you with it like we should have, but thank goodness, Betty did. And you made it work. You have a lot on your shoulders.  
Alexis reminded me that you taught us to be gentlemen. So, I'm going to do my best and treat Betty that way. If I can remember!  
I've been surrounding myself with the wrong kind of women for all these years. Ones who were easy and didn't challenge me and would just satisfy my needs without any demands on me.  
In the end, they weren't what I really needed at all. Because none of them satisfied me. It's like when you eat a bunch of different things, but none of them is what you really want, so you're sort of full but you're still craving something else.  
The problem is, you don't know what it is you want, so you're still not truly satisfied. You still have this need, this sort of hunger, gnawing at you."  
"That's a good observation, Daniel. I'm so glad you and your sister paid some attention to me trying to teach you both some manners. Thank you for calling, dear. But I know you're anxious to be with Betty now. Good luck with her. I have confidence you can be patient with her.  
You love each other. That's the most important thing. The rest will sort itself out. I love you, Daniel. Take care, dear. My love to Betty, too."  
"Thanks, Mom. I love you, too. Tell Tyler I said he'd better take good care of our mom."  
As soon as Daniel got off the phone with Claire, Betty came back into the room and hugged him.  
He looked down at her, "What was that for?"  
"For being such a good son. And for giving Tyler a chance. You're a really good man, Daniel. I know how lucky I am, believe me."  
"Thanks, Betty. I'm lucky, too. I absolutely meant what I told you years ago on the bridge that night. You are better than any model. So much better. Henry saw that, and Matt, and Gio. They were all a lot smarter than me."  
She raised her eyebrows, "Is this the praise the ex-boyfriend routine? I'm not familiar with this particular tactic, Daniel. Please continue, I'm anxious to hear what you have in mind for this."  
"No tactic, Betty. Just the truth. They all were smarter than I am, because they saw before I did how amazing you are, that's all. I should have seen it way before now. I was blind."  
"Well, in all fairness, Daniel, some people would say you must be blind now, to be looking at me when you could have your pick of beautiful girls anywhere in the world."  
He smiled suddenly, "Are you up for going out right now? I hear they have some good karaoke here in our new city. You up for it? You look great, by the way. Must be all the exercise you got chasing me around the bed in your sleep!" he teased.  
She shoved him, "Daniel, I said I was sorry! Yes, come on, let's go! You want to sing, Daniel?"  
"Yeah. I'm in the mood to serenade you a little, I guess. Anyway, it's something we can do together that's fun, that we both enjoy, and it ISN'T sex, so…I figure it'll keep me occupied." He laughed.  
"Alexis and my mom suggested I take up Yoga, but then we decided it wouldn't work, because the classes are all full of women, so that's probably not a good idea."  
She laughed, "NO! Not a good idea for you, Daniel! Let's go! I can look someplace up online on my phone or we could just ask the driver."  
Once they found a karaoke bar, Daniel looked through the selection and was glad to see the song he wanted. "Why don't you sing one you like, then I'll sing this, then…maybe we'll sing one together, okay, Betty?"  
"Anything but 'I've Got You, Babe'" She joked.  
He laughed, "Hey, that's our song! What's wrong with it?"  
She laughed, too. "Nothing. I'm kidding. I'm going to sing 'Crazy'. That's pretty easy.  
She warbled as Daniel watched and listened, clapping far more than the rest of the somewhat unappreciative crowd. When she blushed, he handed her a Guinness. "Here, this'll take the edge off, so you're not so nervous, next time, luv!" he teased, having already had one himself.  
She giggled, "Luv? I thought you were annoyed by British accents."  
He shrugged, "When in Rome…or London. I DO like their beer here. Oh, that rhymes. Okay, are you ready to hear my song, baby?" he did his best 'Austin Powers'.  
She laughed at his bravado, "Lay it on me, 'luv'!"  
He stood up at the podium, drinking a big gulp of 'liquid courage' until the vocal cue came up.  
"Beautiful girls all over the world, I could be chasing  
But my time would be wasted, they got nothing on you, baby  
Nothing on you, baby  
They might say hi, and I might say hey  
But you shouldn't worry, about what they say  
Because they got nothing on you, baby  
Nothing on you, baby  
I know you feel where I'm coming from  
Regardless of the things in my past that I've done  
Most of it really was for the hell of the fun  
On a carousel, so around I spun  
With no direction, just trying to get some  
Trying to chase skirts, living in the summer sun  
And so I lost more than I had ever won  
And honestly, I ended up with none  
Hands down, there will never be another one (Nope)  
I've been around, and I've never seen another one (Never)  
Because your style, I ain't really got nothing on (Nothing)  
And you wild when you ain't got nothing on? (Ha-ha)  
Baby you the whole package  
Plus you pay your taxes  
And you keep it real, while them others stay plastic (like Willi!)  
You're my Wonder Woman, call me Mr. Fantastic  
Stop, now think about it  
I've been to London, I've been to Paris  
Even way out there in Tokyo  
Back home down in NEW YORK! to New Orleans  
But you always steal the show  
And just like that, girl you got me froze  
Like a Nintendo 64  
If you never knew, well, now you know, know, know'  
Beautiful girls all over the world, I could be chasing  
But my time would be wasted, they got nothing on you, baby  
Nothing on you, baby  
They might say hi, and I might say hey  
But you shouldn't worry, about what they say  
Because they got nothing on you, baby  
Nothing on you, baby"  
Daniel got the whole crowd going along with him, as he brought Betty up and held her hand while he sang and 'rapped' to her.  
They cheered loudly when he finished and they sat down, together, ordering another round and collapsed at their table.  
Betty blushed, "That was cute, Daniel. I never knew you could rap."  
He was breathless, but grinned, "I just thought you should know, know, know how I felt, beautiful-you are definitely the whole package, Betty!"  
She laughed and kissed him, "Plus, I pay my taxes!"  
________________________________________  
Chapter 7: Chapter 7  
________________________________________  
I Need You  
Part 7  
Disclaimer: You know the drill-don't own, don't sue!  
After spending the rest of the night laughing, and excitedly talking about all the places they wanted to visit in their adopted homeland, Betty and Daniel came to her front door.  
He had already sent his things to his new place, one of the townhouses Meade UK kept for it's executives.  
Daniel knew his limits. He didn't want to be tempted any further tonight. Besides, they both needed to catch up on some sleep, and fully recover from jet-lag to feel somewhat normal again.  
Right now, they were going strictly on adrenaline. And the several rounds of Guinness would make it all the easier for them to sleep.  
He smiled, brushing aside a strand of hair from her eyes, "This was great, Betty. You're a really fun date."  
She grinned, "Thanks, Daniel. You, too. So, uh…I guess you need to get going, huh?"  
He held her waist, and nodded, "I do. Need to…uh, get going. Yeah."  
"Okay. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. We both need to get some sleep. It was a long flight and we're both tired, so…we should definitely go to bed, I mean sleep, by ourselves, alone."  
He laughed, with his silly smirk that made her crazy, "You're adorable when you're nervous, Betty."  
"ME? Who's nervous? I'm not nervous."  
"Okay. Sure. So if I say….leaned down like this and got really close to your lips it wouldn't make you nervous?" he bent closer, so that his lips were almost touching hers.  
Her eyes itched and she seriously thought her glasses must have fogged up, because she couldn't see, but she decided that was probably a very good thing, so she didn't see Daniel's mouth right next to hers. He was teasing her and she knew it.  
Now he was definitely trying to get back at her for making him so uncomfortable earlier, using his vast experience to make her squirm.  
She bit her bottom lip gently and took off his jacket and hand it to him, giving him a very full view of the extremely low-cut dress Hilda had bought for her as a going away present.  
She felt slightly weird, considering she had always maintained such conservative style of dress, but she had recently begun wearing a bit more daring clothes, to as her sister called it, 'make use of what God gave her'.  
Betty decided, if she just pretended she was some old fashioned movie star, maybe she wouldn't feel so strange.  
She still could tell Daniel's eyes went exactly where she had sort of intended, but now it felt very strange. She got shy again, and started to grab his coat, "Betty, you don't have to freak out. I'm not going to attack you, you know. I'm not blind. I already know you've got great boobs. Just because you usually cover them up, I am a man. Sorry, but I did notice."  
She giggled, "Daniel, I can't believe you just said 'boobs' to me! About mine, no less! Isn't that breaking our little rule?"  
He shook his head, as he kept moving forward, kissing her, then mumbling against her lips, "I think it's about time we made up some new rules, don't you, Betty?"  
She nodded, as he deepened the kiss, and she kissed him back, for all she was worth. After a few minutes, he pulled back, "Sorry. I keep telling myself I'm going to respect you and act like a gentleman, Betty. I think I've seriously forgotten how to do that. Plus, it doesn't help that you've gotten so damn sexy."  
She giggled. "Hearing YOU call ME sexy is just too funny, Daniel!"  
"You are, Betty. You never believe me. I've told you before how beautiful you are, and I've told you your better than any model, when are you going to learn to take a compliment?  
Look, you're not some young girl with frizzy hair and braces anymore, Betty. You are a really beautiful woman. You're gorgeous. And in that outfit, you're definitely sexy.  
I may tell a woman what she wants to hear, or what I think will get me what I want, even, but I don't lie. I find something that's true. In your case, I don't need to look very hard to find something good about you. You're sweet, kind, generous, thoughtful, and you just happen to also be a knockout."  
Her eyes got big, "Wow, you're really good at this seducing stuff, Daniel. I never really understood before how you got all those women. I guess I just had to have you do it to me, I mean, you know, the line, not 'it', well, you know what I mean." She blushed, looking down again.  
He grinned, "Yeah. Thanks, I think? I guess that was supposed to be a compliment. Although to be honest, it sort of just sounded like you still see me as a player, and not as YOUR boyfriend, which is what I would rather be. Look, Betty, I know you, okay? I've known you for four years. I realize you're not the type of girl who just jumps into bed with your uh…boyfriend right away. I'm okay with that. I mean, well, I kind of have to be.  
Now, if you change your mind, that's okay, too. You shouldn't feel like you can't change your mind about it, but if not, that's fine. I promise, we'll play by your rules.  
I don't want to rush you. If I'm only allowed to kiss you and hold your hand, and hug you, well, that's one more thing than I've done in four years, so I can wait.  
Because you're worth it, Betty. You're definitely worth waiting four years and however many days, weeks, months, please stop me…?it takes for you to feel ready." She laughed at him, "Well, definitely not YEARS!"  
"Good! That's a relief! So, how about I just say goodnight now, before I start really putting all my moves on you, and we end up back in that bedroom, where I know for a fact, I won't be able to resist you!  
And by the way, here's a hint for future reference, if you really want your boyfriend NOT to try and 'get in your pants', Betty, don't suggest he sleep in your flat, then start grabbing and kissing him in your sleep, then act like you need him to protect you, and flash your great boobs at him, okay?  
Good night, Kissing Beauty"  
"Daniel!"  
"Hey, it's better than what you said, Sleeping Slutty or McSlutty or whatever, or Handsy Girl!"  
She laughed at him, "Well, okay, then, good night, rapping Romeo."  
"Hey, that's not bad. I may keep that one!"  
The next afternoon, Betty heard a knock on her door. She realized, as she saw the time on her cell phone by the bed that she had slept for twelve hours straight.  
She put on her robe and saw a huge, life-sized Teddy Bear. There was a small delivery man standing behind the bear, "Miss Betty Suarez?"  
"Yes, that's me."  
"I have a delivery for you, Miss."  
She laughed, "Yes, I see that! Wow! That's like seriously bigger than you! How'd you get it here?"  
"In the delivery truck, Miss." The man acted like she was possibly a bit off, not realizing she was joking.  
She just took the bear from him, "Thank you, oh, just a second, "  
"Oh, no need, Miss. The gentlemen took good care of me! He said to say you're not to worry about a tip. But thanks, just the same! Cheers, luv!"  
"Thanks!" She laughed, looking at the huge bear, and 'walking' it into her room. She read the card around its neck, "Hi, My name is Danny Bear. I'm here to make you feel less scared in your new home. Please feel free to use me for cuddling, until you are ready to let go of me in exchange for the real thing."  
Love, Your Rapping Romeo, Daniel.  
She called him, "Daniel, this is absolutely the sweetest thing anybody's ever done for me. Thank you! He's SO cute!"  
"Really? I was hoping you'd think he was kind of weird looking. Well, look, don't get TOO attached, because, remember, the real Daniel is much cuddlier, and cuter and definitely a better kisser!"  
She laughed, "Yes, I remember the kissing thing, especially. You're right. I doubt I'll get much lip action out of Danny Bear here. He's much more of a listener than a talker, I assume, too. Which could be a good thing, I suppose."  
"Hey, I can listen! I do listen. I can also give a great back rub or foot rub. Hell, I can rub anything you want me to rub."  
"Well, okay, let's not start going there, shall we, Daniel? You're not really jealous of a teddy bear, are you? Hey, where are you? You sound out of breath."  
"I'm five blocks away. I wanted to see if I could walk from my place to yours if I couldn't catch a cab. I….Betty? Where'd you go?"  
She had started to run around her room, grabbing clothes from her suitcase, which she still hadn't had a chance to unpack, since she had overslept. She grabbed the phone back up off the bed and just yelled into it, "Okay, I'll see you soon, Daniel. Bye!" and she hung back up, frantically trying to decide what to put on.  
She finally pulled out some jeans and a sweater. She quickly dressed, then pulled the covers up and did a rapid making of her bed, and went in the bathroom to put on some makeup and smooth her hair down.  
She finally gave up, and put it in a ponytail, then started taking things out of her suitcase and putting them away.  
After a short time, her buzzer rang and she let Daniel in. "Hey, Betty! Good afternoon! Wow, you look really well rested. How long have you been up?" He leaned down to kiss her flushed pink cheek.  
"Not that long."  
"Really? Oh, I woke up at the crack of dawn here, all freaked out with the time change. I'm a night person, so I think my body still thinks it's eleven o'clock last night back in New York or something."  
He seemed to be looking around. She finally took his hand and started to lead him into the bedroom. "Betty? Wow, you really get down to business, don't you?"  
She shoved his chest and pointed to the bear, "Daniel, stop! I assumed you wanted to see where I put him. I don't know if he'll actually be able to fit on the bed, really."  
"Well, he's supposedly my size. I mean, you know, height. Not like anatomically correct or anything." He chuckled.  
"I didn't check." She rolled her eyes. Boys!  
"Well, he's really adorable, Daniel. That was very thoughtful to try and make me feel more safe and comfortable. It was sweet."  
He laughed, "You don't HAVE to sleep with him, Betty. Any more than you have to sleep with me.  
I just thought, maybe if you learn to sleep with him, you could learn to sleep with a person next to you without attacking them. I take it you uh…haven't had a guy spend the night in a while?"  
"Is that really your business?"  
"Well, it wouldn't have been as your boss or even just your friend, but I think the question should be allowed as a boyfriend, Betty, Yeah. Don't you?"  
"Well, not since Matt, then, okay? I've had…offers. I'm just not the kind to sleep around. I'm not a prude or anything, I just don't feel comfortable…doing that with some random stranger I meet at a bar or a club or a…bookstore."  
He watched her expression, "Some guy hit on you in a bookstore, Betty? Wow, I've been going to the wrong places to meet women. All the smart, nice girls go there to pick up guys, huh?" he teased.  
"I never said anyone hit on me at a bookstore. I…"  
He raised his eyebrows, and smirked, "No, but your voice got all high and squeaky. You never told me you had a guy you met at the bookstore who tried to get you to sleep with him, Betty. When was this?"  
"About four months after Matt left. And I didn't know I was obligated to tell you about every man I met back then, Daniel. It's not like I even WANT to know about all your women. I don't think I could count that high without a calculator."  
"Okay, Betty. I guess I deserve that. Sorry, I was just curious, that's all. You're right. It WAS none of my business back then. You don't still go to bookstores that much, though, do you?"  
________________________________________  
Chapter 8: Chapter 8  
________________________________________  
Chapter 8  
Disclaimer: Don't own/so please don't sue!  
Not a lot of drama in this chapter; just our couple, trying to find a way to navigate through their new environment together, without 'going there' and finding it more difficult than they imagined!  
After some debate, Daniel agreed to accompany Betty to Notting Hill. She also wanted to go to the open market to get some things to make for dinner. They decided to get some more prawns while they were out, since Daniel admitted he liked them.  
"So, I see you have gotten over your snobby American attitude and decided to adapt to your new home?"  
"Well, yeah. I mean, you're here, Betty, so I already love it. I was just tired and grumpy before. I love England. I'd love anywhere we are together. But I like it here. I'm not too crazy about this whole book store thing, though. Are you hoping to see Hugh Grant or something and have him hit on you, too?"  
She laughed, "He's a little old for me."  
"Yeah, well, I am, too, I guess, but…"  
"Besides, I don't think I'm Hugh's type."  
"What, you mean a transvestite hooker or whatever?"  
She rolled her eyes, "First of all, I'm surprised you actually remembered Hugh Grant was in a 'chick flick' at all.  
I'm especially impressed that you knew he was in Notting Hill! But, I don't think given your family history you should be making jokes like that, Daniel."  
"Well, you made me watch enough stupid romantic comedies and Disney movies to pay me back for the action films, Betty. But, I guess you're right, Alexis might not appreciate it, huh?"  
"Probably not. Have you talked to her since you got here?"  
"Yeah. She and DJ are coming to London soon. Maybe later this month, she said. There's some Meade business she wants me to deal with.  
That's why she called yesterday and sort of interrupted us. That was her on the phone when we were…uh kissing. I was kind of annoyed at her timing, but I guess it was for the best."  
She looked down as he hailed them a cab. "I think so. Sorry if I made it hard for you yesterday, Daniel. I was feeling kind of vulnerable. I do appreciate you being a gentleman, though. It means a lot to me that you aren't going to push things."  
"Well, I'm trying to look at it from your perspective, Betty. It's not like I have a great track record for long term relationships.  
Honestly, other than Molly, I'd have to say Amanda was probably the longest relationship I had and I know I just used her. I feel terrible for the way I treated her. She deserved better.  
I think she did end up kind of being my friend. I know she really cares about you, even though she was a little jealous of you, too, I think. But you know, she told me when she found out I was coming here with you that I'd better treat you right or she'd come kick my ass just like she did Sofia's on my behalf!  
I'm sort of glad she's with Tyler. Even if it does make for a sort of weird situation because of our history. I mean, honestly, I don't really know how serious they are. Mom said something about her helping Tyler with his sobriety, so that sounds good, I guess."  
"That's great! Maybe you should extend the olive branch, Daniel? Call him and see how he's doing. I'm sure he'd appreciate it."  
He smiled, grabbing her hand, as they arrived at Notting Hill and started walking, "Always trying to make me into a better guy, aren't you, Betty?  
It's not enough that I'm letting you go into a bookstore, knowing that's where you go to pick up men or even that I'm subjecting my stomach to your cooking tonight?"  
"Excuse me? I didn't pick up anyone at a bookstore, Daniel. He hit on me! And as far as the cooking crack, let's see how well you do, mister Chinese take-out!"  
"Okay, you're on! We're usually a pretty good team. Why don't we cook together? How hard could it be? We're two smart people. Together we ran a major magazine for four years. We can figure out how to cook something. What did you have in mind for the menu?"  
"Manicotti and a salad." She waved her shopping list. "Maybe some green beans and garlic bread. Then, I thought we could try and make this stuff Bobby's sister told me about at the wedding.  
It's called Salame Dolce. You don't cook it; you freeze it and slice it, so that it looks like salame. She brought it to Hilda's rehearsal dinner.  
It's really delicious! She said she first had it in Venice on her honeymoon and fell in love with it. I like the idea that you don't have to bake it so I can't possibly burn it!"  
He smirked.  
"What? What's THAT look about? Are you still on that time I burned dinner before?"  
"No, of course not, Betty! I thought you looked so cute with your face all black from the smoke and your hair messy and scorch marks on your little apron.  
Hey, were you trying to come on to me, then? I mean, I never really thought about it but you did offer to try and make dinner for me."  
"Get over yourself, Daniel. NO, I wasn't! I just felt sorry for you and your mom was worried about you eating too much take out after you stopped eating that crazy diet the Phoenix place had you on, that's all."  
He grinned at her smugly, "Oh, my mom was worried about me, huh? I see. You weren't?"  
She shrugged, "A little, maybe. Hey, friends can worry. It doesn't mean anything. I did NOT have some crush on you, Daniel. I'm notthat pathetic. I had my own life."  
"Yes, Betty, I know you did. You rubbed it in my face enough."  
"Excuse me? How do you get that? When did I rub my love life in your face, Daniel?"  
"For one, the time I asked if you had a crush on me after the whole Renee thing, and you laughed at me and then just to prove your point, you had to go kiss Henry right in front of me. You knew I was watching. What was that about if you weren't trying to make me jealous?"  
"First of all, nobody told you to watch, mister pervert, and at least I only slept with one guy at a time. I never forgot whose place I left my underwear at!"  
"Again with the underwear thrown at your head? Jeez, Betty, how many times are you going to bring that one up? I said I was sorry like a million times!"  
"Don't tell me. Tell Amanda! She's the one you didn't even remember sleeping with!"  
He rolled his eyes, clearly frustrated that they had gotten angry with each other over what he considered 'ancient history'.  
He took a breath, about to try and calm her down, when she surprised him by pulling him down for a very heated kiss. After the shock wore off, he put his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss.  
Once they came up for air, he grinned, "That's one way to win an argument, I guess. I like it. Okay, you win, Betty. You're right. I'm wrong. Does that work for you?"  
She smiled, "Well, if you insist. That's not why I kissed you, though, really."  
"I'll bite. Why did you kiss me? Not that I'm complaining!"  
"Because I realized we were maybe only fighting because we were…you know, frustrated. So, I thought I'd break the tension."  
"I guess so. That doesn't always work, but I like it in this case, anyway."  
"What do you mean, it doesn't always work?"  
"Actually, I kissed Wilhelmina once because I let some stupid counselor convince me she was coming onto me out of sexual frustration. Big mistake! She slugged me!"  
She laughed, "YOU kissed HER? Daniel, you never told me that! You told me about the stupid dating service that matched you up with her and how you both worked together to get off the little love boat cruise.  
Wow, Daniel, should I be jealous of Wilhelmina? I mean, I know you sure liked her sister a lot."  
He reddened, "Please! It was a stupid mistake. She's horrible! She almost married my father, too! There's already enough weirdness in my family! Not to mention I can't stand the woman! It was just a stupid impulse. One I deeply regret, believe me!"  
She looked at him, "You are definitely an impulsive guy, Daniel. I guess maybe that's one reason I want to make sure your moving here with me isn't just an impulsive gesture you'll come to regret, too.  
Then, where would I be? You will have had your way with me, and put your father's little challenge to rest, then I'd never hear from you again.  
I'd be just another one of Daniel's girls! One of many, and all I'd probably get would be the silver necklace from Nigel at Tiffany's. Maybe some roses, if you could get someone to order them for you."  
"Betty, you know none of those women hold a candle to you, right? I wish I knew something I could do to prove to you that you can trust me with your heart. You can, you know." He cupped her face in his hands.  
She looked up at him and smiled, as she put her hands on top of his, "My heart, you already have. It's the rest of me you're going to have to wait for, Daniel."  
He chuckled, giving her a quick kiss, then saluting, "Yes, ma'am. Like I said, your rules, Betty."  
She grabbed his hand again, pulling him, "Now, come on, let's look around."  
They looked around at the books, separately. After a few minutes, Daniel 'stalked' her, peeking around the shelves, then laughing, and got her giggling. She shook her head, and put her finger up to her lips, as she saw they were getting the evil eye from an employee.  
Finally, she walked up behind him, tapping him on the elbow to turn around and whispered, "Knock it off, stop making me laugh, will you? You're going to get us kicked out!"  
"Hey, you're the one giggling, Betty. I was just wondering something."  
"What?"  
"What did 'bookstore guy' say to you, exactly? I mean, I'm just curious what a guy says to a girl he just meats in a bookstore to try to get her into bed! He's got some balls!"  
"Excuse me? I'm sorry, but look who's talking here! YOU are questioning another guy for being too pushy? Really, Daniel?"  
"All right. I really want to know what he said to you, though, Betty."  
"Why, so you could add it to your pick up lines?"  
"Maybe." He teased.  
"Seriously?" She looked at him with wide eyes.  
"On YOU, silly!" he stammered.  
"You don't need pick-up lines on me."  
"I don't? Well tell me what I DO need, then. I'm all ears."  
"Patience. You promised you weren't going to push, Daniel."  
"I'm not pushing. I'm just curious, that's all. Can't a guy be curious? I guess I'm sort of wondering why you never mentioned it before, too.  
I thought we were 'friends'. Don't friends talk about their relationship stuff? We used to."  
They were walking through the market and Betty got the food for their meal. She chose to ignore his last question, looking down at the vegetables.  
"Betty?"  
She shrugged, "Daniel. Look, I don't remember what he said exactly. Can we just drop it, please? Let's get some of those tomatoes and there are the green beans."  
"Okay. Is this all we need?" He seemed not to want to upset her.  
She nodded, "Yep. That should do it. I have everything on the menu." She held up her bags.  
"Okay. Let's take this stuff home and see if we can make it into something edible!"  
Once they returned to Betty's flat, they set about making the noodles for the manicotti. Daniel was sure they were supposed to put them in before the water boiled.  
Betty shrugged at first, "Maybe. I know you do for rice. But…I don't know. Maybe I should call papi first. That doesn't seem right. I thought I remembered making spaghetti once and you waited till the water boiled BEFORE you put in the pasta."  
"Here, I'll look it up online. Or…doesn't it say on the package?"  
They finally managed to get the noodles boiled. After giggling over the remark made on "Julia/Julie" about grabbing pasta, they got the noodles out and had the cheese mixture ready to put inside them.  
Daniel was 'manning' the 'stuffing station' Betty had set up for him. He looked back at her, "Okay, are you going to help me to stuff these things? What am I supposed to do, just use my fingers, or a spoon, or what?"  
She laughed at him, "Like I'm supposed to know, Daniel! I'll tell you what. You stand behind me since you're taller and we'll do it together."  
"Sounds kinky. I'm up for it if you are, Betty." He grinned.  
She shook her head, "Is everything about sex with you?"  
He cocked his head to one side, "Well, yeah. Especially when I'm not getting any, Betty. How can you be so…I mean, don't women get antsy, too, when they haven't done it in a long time?"  
She rolled her eyes and blushed slightly, "I plead the fifth on that question, I think. I guess we do. I think we can just hide it better, that's all."  
He shook his hands out, "Okay, let's get this little show on the road and do some stuffing! Spoon or hands? I say hands, it sounds more fun. We both just washed ours, and we're eating it, so we're clean enough.  
All right, stick your hands in that cheese mess and start stuffing the noodles. I'll be your back up and just help you in case you drop anything."  
"Boy, you really like being the boss, don't you, Daniel? This is my kitchen."  
"Fine. You're the boss of the kitchen, miss EIC. How would you like to 'do it', then?"  
She smiled, "I guess what you said sounded okay."  
He rolled his eyes, "Well, fine, then, woman, like I said, get your cute little hands in there and stuff that noodle." She stuck her hands in the cheese and started stuffing the manicotti noodles.  
"Ooh, this feels really weird. Daniel, what are you doing?"  
He was putting his hands on top of hers, guiding her through the process of stuffing the noodles, then lying them in the baking dish.  
"Did you get the sauce ready?" she asked him, turning to see his face right by hers, and he kissed her.  
"Daniel! This is serious, cut it out! I'm trying to cook, here! You're going to make a mess."  
"Serious? You take everything too seriously, Betty. It's noodles, for goodness sake. And, to answer your question, Miss Master Chef, yes, I got the sauce ready, like you told me, okay? I think you like bossing ME around a little too much!"  
She grinned, "Maybe a little. I guess one kiss for every noodle we stuff isn't a bad reward system, come to think of it."  
He helped her stuff the next noodle and laid it next to the first one. "Oh, so you like my new employee incentive program, do you? Personally, I think it's going to be very successful."  
She turned around and kissed him, and as she started to put her hands around his back, he mumbled against her lips, "Watch the hands, Miss Handsy girl. Remember, I'm just a hired cook's helper in here. Besides, I wouldn't want to get carried away and end up making love to you right now in YOUR kitchen."  
She kissed him and shook her head, "No. that would be wrong."  
He put his arm around her waist carefully, avoiding getting his messy hands on her. They kissed for several minutes, and he began nuzzling her neck, "Betty, I think…uh, yeah. We might want to…oh…um…I need to go take a walk or something, cooking is making me too hot."  
She blew out a breath. "Me, too." They both washed their hands, but ended up playing in the water, and laughing, then their eyes met and they began kissing again.  
Betty pulled away, "Daniel. We need to figure out a way to do things together without it ending up like this. Maybe we should only go on public dates or something.  
We shouldn't be alone together when we both kind of feel this way. It's too hard to keep stopping ourselves like this."  
"For you, too?" he seemed surprised.  
"Yes! Okay? I want you, too. I just think we need to try and find something that doesn't turn us on."  
"I don't know what that would be. Right now, anything you do turns me on."  
________________________________________  
Chapter 9: Chapter 9  
________________________________________  
I Need You  
Chapter 9  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. But they are a lot of fun!  
After several dates, all in public places, like the movies and a Shakespeare play, nice restaurants, all with very chaste goodnight kisses, followed by their New York patented Daniel/Betty hugs, Daniel was ready to climb the walls. Unfortunately, he had to start his new job the following Monday.  
Friday, he woke and decided to take his mind off Betty by going to Mode UK to see about the EIC there that his sister seemed so concerned about being a gambler.  
He had called several times and tried unsuccessfully to have a meeting with the guy and been put off. Finally, he told James Durocher's assistant that he was coming in and he needed some time alone with her boss, so she had better do whatever it took to 'clear his schedule'.  
He could play the role of big boss coming in to rattle a few cages if he had to. It might be kind of fun to do before he started the new job at Dunne, in a more subservient role than he was used to, he reasoned.  
He dressed in his blue pin stripe power suit, with his signature purple tie. He strolled into the UK offices of Mode, trying to remember the last time he had been there. It must have been when he was just a kid, he thought. Before Jim Durocher had been hired.  
Things looked fairly modern. Not an exact copy of Mode in New York, certainly, but perhaps the London version. Sort of retro sixties mod style. There was certainly lots of plastic looking furniture that resembled the décor in New York somewhat.  
Daniel smiled pleasantly at Stephanie Matthews, the receptionist. He couldn't quite picture someone like Amanda here, and this girl didn't seem to have any similarities to her US counterpart.  
She was very businesslike and seemed quite busy, answering phones, "Mode UK, Stephanie Matthews speaking. May I help you?" She put up a finger to Daniel when he started to ask to see Mr. Durocher, so he stood, waiting, with a slight smirk while she finished helping the caller.  
"May I assist you? Do you have an appointment with someone here?"  
"Yes. I'm Daniel Meade. I'm here to see James Durocher. We have a ten o'clock appointment."  
She seemed flustered when she heard who he was, "Oh, of course, Mister Meade! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting! I'll tell his assistant you're here immediately. Excuse me, please. I'll have her here to escort you momentarily."  
She whispered on her headset for Melanie Howell to come show Daniel to James' office. Within a few minutes, Melanie came practically running to meet Daniel and take him to see the infamous Durocher.  
She extended her hand, "Mister Meade! We're so happy you could stop by. I understand you've actually left the New York office and are planning to make London your home now? How exciting! I do hope you're finding England a welcome place."  
"Yes. I love it. My girlfriend and I have seen a few places so far, but have a long list of sightseeing on our days off. It's an exciting city. I'm sure I'm going to love it.  
I have the added advantage of being much closer to my sister and nephew in Paris now, too. I'm looking forward to a visit from them shortly. Alexis is the one who suggested I come meet with Mr. Durocher and introduce myself since I'm here now."  
"Yes, of course. Miss Meade has called several times. I've spoken to her and your mother over the past few years. I look forward to meeting them, as well. Here is Mister Durocher's office. He's just finishing up a meeting in the conference room now. I'll go let him know you're here to see him."  
Daniel looked at her, smiling, "Why don't you take me to him in the conference room. I'd love to see him in action in this meeting."  
She looked somewhat panic stricken, but tried to hide it. "Of course, sir. I'd be happy to. I'll show you to the conference room now."  
Daniel could tell she was stalling and had absolutely no idea where her boss was. He felt sorry for her. He could almost imagine Betty, covering for him with either his father, Alexis or Wilhelmina so many times over the past four years.  
He leaned down and whispered, "Look, Melanie, take it from a formerly crappy boss myself who had a great assistant like you, I'm not going to blame you if your boss is MIA, okay? Just tell me if you don't know where he is."  
She looked as if she were going to cry. "I terribly sorry, Mister Meade, but you're absolutely correct. I have no idea where he is at the moment. I tried to tell him you were coming and he kept telling me to re-schedule. But I…"  
Daniel patted her back, "Melanie. Really, don't get stressed out about this. It's not your fault your boss is a flake apparently.  
Just let him know whenever he decides to show up that he's fired, okay? Since you've obviously been doing his job for him, I'd consider looking at your resume since we'll need to replace him as soon as possible."  
Her eyes got huge, "You're FIRING Mr. Durocher?"  
Daniel grinned, "Yup. Afraid so. He just lost his last chance at convincing me he was fit to stay here. If he thinks he can blow me off or try to have you stall me for him indefinitely while he's off playing around instead of doing his job, then I don't really think he should be here.  
There seem to be quite a few other people around here that DO appreciate their positions enough to warrant a promotion. I'll tell you what. My sister will be here next week and she'll likely be the one to be doing the hiring.  
I'll tell her what happened today and I'm sure she'll agree with me that if Mr. Durocher is unable to keep his appointments he needs to see if he can keep them, what's the expression here-on the dole?  
He'll have the rest of the week to get his things in order but I'll expect him to have his office cleared out by the end of next Thursday.  
I'll be back next Friday evening as soon as I'm done at my own job at Dunne Publishing and perhaps you could have a list of possible local candidates for the job ready for me so I can give them to my sister?  
Like I said, don't be afraid to put yourself on that list. As far as I can see you and Stephanie, the receptionist is doing a better job at working here than your former boss did."  
She was clearly flabbergasted by Daniel's assertive and no nonsense decision, but he noticed a slight smile on the corner of her mouth.  
"Yes, sir! I'll be happy to compile a list of suitable candidates and I'll be MOST happy to forward your message to Mister Durocher, Mr. Meade! Thank you. It's been a pleasure meeting you, sir!" She quite enthusiastically shook his hand.  
As Daniel left he noticed Melanie and Stephanie both smiling and seemingly overcome with joy at his decision to can their boss.  
As he left the building, Daniel called Alexis to let her know the situation. She wasn't completely on board with his sudden action.  
"Daniel! What the hell? Who is going to be running things there now? I know the guy was a flake, but we can't have nobody running Mode!"  
"Alexis, I'm telling you, the guy's a ghost. Nobody IS running Mode here already. What's the difference? The assistants and Creative Director seem to already be doing his job for him anyway."  
"Gee, doesn't THAT sound familiar!" she moaned.  
"Funny, SIS! Look, you asked me to come and let you know what was going on. I tried to get the guy to meet me, but he kept ducking out on me.  
I don't know what he's hiding, but he can do it from the unemployment line if he can't give me the respect to show up for a meeting and doesn't even let his poor assistant know where the hell he is.  
I could tell she was freaking out trying to think of a way to cover for him. I think maybe we should consider hiring her, since she's clearly the one who's been holding her up all these years, doing his job for him."  
"Wow, like I said, déjà vu! Are you sure this Melanie's middle name isn't Betty?" she laughed. "Okay, fine. Just make sure you get me that list of possibles by next week and I'll be there to start interviewing. I don't suppose you want the job?"  
"Thanks for the offer, but I thought you just got done saying quite clearly that Betty and Wilhelmina did my job for me? Why would you want me?" he was slightly annoyed at her attitude, but not really angry, since he reluctantly saw her point.  
"Well, I guess you did learn a thing or two after four years of faking it."  
"Are you serious? Look, Alexis, I'm sorry, but I want to get out of Meade as far as making something for myself. I mean, I do appreciate the offer, really.  
It means a lot to me that you actually think I'm capable of doing the job you always fought me for back in New York. But, I really think I need to start fresh here, and prove to myself I can make it on my own, without my name to back me."  
"Well, let me know if you change your mind. I hope you can handle having Betty be your boss, without feeling emasculated."  
He couldn't resist. "Well, first of all, Betty will be in a higher position, but we'll be working for two different magazines in the same company. She won't really be my boss, technically. But maybe you can help me deal with knowing how it feels having your balls cut off."  
"Hilarious, Danny! How long did it take you to think that one up?"  
He laughed, "It just came to me. Sorry. It was too easy."  
Betty paced in her flat, trying to decide what to wear to meet Daniel at The Ritz for lunch as soon as he finished his meeting with the Editor at Mode. She finally saw a dress that Christine had made for her and given her during her last visit to London.  
It was beautiful. Purple silk, with a fitted waist, and flowing skirt that fit her like a dream. She felt really beautiful wearing it. She couldn't help think how different things were in her life than the first time she had tried this dress on when Christine had presented her with it.  
She had just run into Gio and been preparing for Hilda's wedding. She could never have imagined less than three months later, she would be back here in London, moving here as the Managing Editor of her own magazine, and having Daniel move here with her! She felt like she should pinch herself.  
She was scared to death it was all going to come crashing down. Probably the minute she gave in to her growing desires for Daniel.  
It just all felt so strange, suddenly thinking of him as a boyfriend, after all these years of pushing any attraction she might have had for him aside.  
She still couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that Daniel Meade wanted her. It was like she was in some sort of dream like state and nothing around her seemed real.  
Any of it; her new home, here in London, the new job, and definitely not the newfound feelings for Daniel!  
She knew she couldn't expect him to wait for her forever, though. She didn't especially want to wait herself, and was nervously trying to think of ways to avoid being alone with the man, since he was pretty much teasing her nonstop it seemed.  
And to have a man like Daniel trying to charm his way into her bed was definitely not something a girl like Betty knew how to handle very well.  
Her sister and friends were no help, either. They all told her she was nuts and should just 'go for it!" "Jump him!" "Enjoy yourself" The consensus was, Betty was crazy for not 'tapping that'.  
But she knew she wanted to be sure Daniel was really serious about not only his feelings for her but that he wasn't going to leave on the next plane the minute they finally consummated their relationship.  
She didn't really think so little of Daniel, as much as she just didn't trust her own good fortune for him not to suddenly decide he needed to go to Africa or disappear to Arizona with his new baby mama. Let's face it; she hadn't been lucky in love so far. Although, she realized, neither had he.  
She couldn't help but smile when saw Daniel's face as she arrived and he stood to greet her. "Wow! You look fantastic, Betty! That dress is gorgeous! What designer is it? I don't recognize it."  
"It's a McKinney original. Ha, I see we match!" She touched his shirt and tie as he hugged her. He held her away from him to admire her dress and its contents for a moment. She put her hands on his chest, under his jacket, getting lost in his sexy scent.  
He held her by her upper arms and leaned down for a slow kiss, winking at her as he did.  
After she pushed away slightly, blushing, she whispered, "PDA, Daniel. This is a classy place."  
He shrugged, "You should have let me get us a private room." He held out her chair and leaned down to kiss her neck before he went to his own seat.  
She shivered. "Daniel, cut it out. That tickles."  
He flashed his bad boy grin at her as he sat down, picking up his napkin and taking the menu from the waiter. "I'm starved! I worked up an appetite. I just fired a guy today without him even being there. In fact, that's why I fired him. He never even had the decency to show up for our meeting today, do you believe it? What a pompous jerk!"  
Betty's eyes grew wide, "You fired that editor? Who's going to take his position, Daniel-you?"  
He shook his head, shrugging, "No! I told Alexis, though. She's going to interview some people next week. You know, if she could figure it out with DJ's school, though, maybe I should suggest she do it herself.  
It'd sure be nice to have her and DJ here in London. I mean, Paris isn't that far, I know, but it would really be fantastic to get to spend more time with them right here.  
Then I'd have everyone I love all with me." Betty blushed again at the way he looked at her when he said that. "Except my mom. But I'm sure she'll be coming to visit soon enough.  
As long as she is able to keep from killing Willi! Hopefully between her and Tyler they can handle the wicked witch of New York!" he laughed.  
Betty was somewhat quiet. He looked at her, "What's wrong, Betty? Am I not as funny as I think I am? Why aren't you laughing at my stupid jokes tonight?"  
She shook her head, "I was just realizing something. You really do intend on staying here, don't you?"  
________________________________________  
Chapter 10: Chapter 10  
________________________________________  
Chapter 10  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
A/N: Okay, I even made sure the font size was 18 or over here. Warning: if you don't want to 'come along for the ride' pun intended, you might NOT want to read any further. I don't claim to be a sex writer, so 'be gentle' and review kindly please. I'll understand if you're speechless. I just figured they had both waited long enough. Enjoy? No smoking after, though. It's bad for you.  
Betty suddenly felt as if she were looking down on her life from above. She could see her here, with Daniel, but it was if she was living someone else's life. This COULDN'T be really happening, she thought, could it?  
Daniel had moved here with her, had changed his life for her, because he LOVED her? And now he was waiting on her to be ready for him.  
This had to be a dream induced by watching too many episodes of papi's telenovellas, she thought, fighting the urge to grab Daniel out of the restaurant and take him back to her flat or his new place, whichever was closer and have the wildest sex she could imagine. Which lately, was pretty wild.  
She had certainly learned a few things from Matt in that department, although he always seemed to be holding back with her, afraid she was too fragile or something.  
She didn't want that with Daniel. Nobody knew her like he did and she sensed that deep familiarity with one another would translate quite well into the bedroom.  
She noticed suddenly that Daniel had stopped talking about work or Alexis or whatever he had been saying and was watching her closely. It made her blush all the more.  
"Betty, are you okay? You look all…flushed. You're not sick, are you?"  
CRAP! What was she supposed to say, I'm really getting hot, thinking about having sex with you, since I feel suddenly more certain about you not running back to New York the minute we sleep together? Maybe not.  
She took a drink of water. "I don't think so. I think I'm wearing too many layers, is all." She took off her somewhat sheer wrap, and placed it on the empty chair next to Daniel.  
She couldn't help but smile shyly, seeing his eyes follow her every move and rest on her dress, now that she had removed the wrap, and on her bare shoulders it revealed.  
She slipped off her strappy shoes that were killing her feet. He noticed that, too. "Feet hurt?"  
She merely nodded. He grinned, "Poor baby. You never did get callouses like all the New York 'stiletto girls' did you?"  
She shook her head, "Well, ever since Wilhelmina's little mile in her shoes challenge, I admit, I handle the pain a lot better than I ever thought I could, but I still say they are an instrument of torture. But they're so pretty!"  
He nodded sympathetically, "Yes, they are. It's a shame they cause you such pain, though. I'll tell you what. When we go home tonight, I'll give you a deluxe foot rub, okay? I've been told I'm pretty good at it."  
She smirked, "I'm sure you have, Daniel."  
He laughed, "Are you actually flirting with me, Betty Suarez? Hang on, I'll alert the media!"  
She giggled, "Shut up, Daniel! I'm trying, okay? I told you, this CHANGE in our relationship is going to take some getting used to. I didn't say I didn't WANT to; I just am trying to…."  
Always attuned to the subtlest nuances of Betty's mood, he sensed a shift in her attitude. "Wait, what do you mean, you didn't say you didn't want to? Didn't want to…what, exactly?  
I'm confused-didn't say you didn't want to? Is that even your usual perfect grammar, Betty? Isn't that a double negative or something?"  
"NO, I didn't say I…never mind!" she seemed frustrated.  
"Betty! What are you trying to say? So you DO want to? Now? Hell, let's go! We can get the food to go or something. Have them deliver it later. I'm not going to let you change your mind. Come on!"  
She almost had to laugh at how he seemed like a kid, he was so excited.  
"Daniel! Don't be silly! We can wait till we finish eating."  
"Maybe YOU can, Betty! I'm about ready to explode. I have been for the last few months and especially since I first told you back in New York that I loved you.  
I wanted, hell, I expected or hoped anyway we'd be celebrating that night together! It's been one constant torture after another ever since then.  
I'm so ready right now I could take you in the middle of an ice storm in Alaska and they'd still have to ice me down, Betty!" he leaned forward and kissed her and started getting up to leave.  
Her eyes grew wide, "Okay. Um…seriously? You want to leave, right now? But…what about…"  
He had already handed her her purse and wrap and grabbed her hand impatiently waiting for her to get up to leave.  
When the waiter arrived at the table with their drink orders, Daniel handed him a large wad of cash, "Can you possibly have someone send that to our room later? Much later!"  
"Of course sir, which room?"  
Daniel looked over his shoulder as he was shuffling Betty off, "I'm not sure. I uh…don't remember. Just ask for Daniel Meade. Take your time. No hurry."  
"Certainly, sir."  
She leaned towards him as soon as the waiter left, and whispered, "We're getting a room here, Daniel?"  
He nodded silently.  
Betty was feeling very rushed. She had hurriedly slid her shoes back on, which only intensified the pain in her feet, but Daniel's hand on the small of her back, guiding her gently but firmly to the hotel lobby helped her smile through the pain.  
She had to admit, the thought that Daniel was so anxious to be with her was making her feel rather giddy. He was staring at her intensely, and seemed determined to get her alone before she changed her mind.  
At the concierge desk he flashed his platinum card and promised god knows what to the desk clerk and somehow got them a room in the Royal Suite, which was pretty impressive, even for him.  
It turned out; luck was on their side tonight. The suite had been reserved for some local celebrity who ended up getting caught in a storm enroute, so it happened to be available for the night.  
Daniel seemed pleased, but Betty honestly thought he would have been undeterred had he been told they would have to use a broom closet. She knew he wasn't usually known for his patience.  
He smiled at her, and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder as he took the key from the clerk and led her to the elevators.  
Once they were alone, and the doors had closed, he backed her against the wall and whispered, as he kissed her neck, "I'm going to make sure that guy downstairs hears you screaming my name, Betty."  
"Daniel!" she blushed as he started kissing her heatedly, his tongue exploring her mouth eagerly. She was overwhelmed by his desire and passion for her.  
She didn't even try to fight it anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded enthusiastically to his kisses.  
She could feel him pressing against her and was feeling rather intoxicated by his scent. She knew it well, having her knees buckle just when she used to buy it for him as his lowly assistant. Clive Christian, No 1. It was extremely expensive, of course, but Daniel definitely wore it well.  
Mixed with his own scent, and the way he was crowding her, moving into her space deliberately she felt like she might actually pass out. He held her face in both hands now and just looked into her eyes, taking off her glasses and dropping them carefully into her bag.  
"Um, Daniel, I'd like to see, please."  
"No."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I said, no, Betty. Let me guide you there. I promise, if you trust me, you'll be fine."  
"Don't be silly, Daniel. I have to see to be able to find my way to the room."  
"No you don't. You're not blind. You can just hold my hand. I won't let you run into anything. Seriously, just trust me, okay?"  
She nodded. "Okay, Daniel." She could see fine. Things were just a bit blurry, though, and she wanted to see his face, his perfect face clearly.  
But, evidently, he was trying to make a point that she could trust him completely. Trust him with guiding her to the room, with her body, with her heart. She got it. Daniel wasn't the only one who could read the other like a book.  
He smiled, and traced her lips with his finger, staring at her face. "God, Betty! Your eyes are beautiful!"  
"Hmmm…not that I don't appreciate the compliment, Daniel, but that sort of sounds like a pick-up line."  
He chuckled, "Well, I guess that makes sense, since I'm absolutely trying to pick you up. In fact, why don't I actually do that?" As soon as the elevator doors opened, he scooped her up and carried her to the room.  
He somehow managed to get the door open, with a little help from Betty and carried her giggling to the room and plopped her on the bed.  
He slowly crawled across it to her, taking off his tie and throwing his jacket haphazardly across a chair, while his gaze never left her. He expertly reached around and undid her zipper, while kissing his way down her arms.  
He was driving her crazy, nibbling on her neck and his hot breath in her ear, telling her what he wanted to do to her, sending shivers up and down her spine.  
Daniel made quick work of her dress and surprisingly, Betty didn't feel the slightest bit shy in her bra and panties, considering he was making her feel very much the object of his desire right now, cupping and kissing his way over her bra, then expertly removing it.  
She ran her fingers through his hair, and whispered, "How do you do that?"  
He looked up in surprise, his hands already exploring her body, and his mouth kissing and tasting her breasts. "Do what?"  
"Make me feel so….beautiful, so desirable. I don't think I've EVER felt that before. All that practice has definitely paid off, I guess."  
He looked at her, admiringly and ran his fingers down her arm for a second, then she watched, transfixed as he glided those same talented hands over the curves of her body all the way to disappear inside her, controlling her and watching her writhe in pleasure.  
As she gave in and started to scream out, he kissed her deeply, causing her to shudder in delight.  
"Oh..my..god! DANIEL!"  
He didn't stop kissing her, but deftly removed her panties and started taking his own clothes off, something Betty hadn't even had the presence of mind to do, since he started his assault on her.  
She helped him off with his shirt, drawing in a breath, at the sight (although somewhat blurry, she could still tell how perfect his arms and chest were). She ran her hands over them, appreciatively. He had recently been doing sit ups or something, too, she noticed, seeing how well defined his abs had become.  
She put her hand on them, causing him to stop and smile, "You like?"  
She nodded, "Giving your new half-brother a run for his money, I see."  
He laughed, "Well, I don't think I'll be challenging Matthew McConaughey anytime soon, but I've been working out a little."  
"Nice. Very nice. Not just the abs, either."  
He grinned, "Why thank you, Betty. I was trying to tell you earlier, when you as usual gave me credit for something you had done, you ARE beautiful, honey.  
I don't know who you've been hanging around that has made you feel like you weren't, but you're gorgeous. I'm just like the art lover who appreciates all your beauty, that's all. Believe me, it's all you, Betty. I'm just here to worship and admire you."  
She giggled slightly, "Daniel, you are so full of it sometimes. But don't stop. I have to admit, you're really good at this stuff."  
"This stuff, huh? Betty, believe me, babe, we haven't even begun to get started. That was just to get you loosened up. Now comes hours of the really good stuff."  
She smirked at his smugness, "I see. Somebody thinks pretty highly of his uh… masculinity. I mean I…okay and there he is. Hello! I've heard so much about you. Um…nice to finally meet you."  
He laughed, "Betty, are you seriously introducing yourself to my penis?"  
She smiled, as she reached down to wrap her hand around him firmly, "I guess a proper introduction is always best."  
She watched as he sucked in a breath and SHE controlled him for a while. She enjoyed watching Daniel losing control as she brought him so close to the brink, before he stopped her.  
He brought her up for a very sensual kiss, and held her by her shoulders, "So, you're okay with that, I see? Good. I didn't want to freak you out or anything."  
She rolled her eyes, "I'm twenty-six Daniel, not twelve or uh…sixteen like Petra."  
He shook his head, "You know WAY too much about me, Betty."  
She was feeling more confident now, knowing she could dominate him, too. She reached around and squeezed his butt.  
"Hey, two can play that game, Betty. What uh…goes around comes around. I still owe you." He winked as he startled her to send her like a rocket to the moon this time.  
She tried to hold back, but he had her panting and screaming loudly, begging for more, as he would stop and let her ride out each wave, keeping her on the edge.  
She barely had the chance to catch her breath, and in fact was still breathing very heavily when he whispered, "Do you want to do the formal introductions again or can we just uh…God, BETTY!"  
She had guided him exactly where she wanted him. He looked rather surprised, "Okay, I see we have a woman who knows what she wants here."  
She was trying to keep her calm, confident voice, but he had already begun to plunge into her and she was quickly losing all capacity to form any words whatsoever.  
He tried to speak, but could only manage one word. "Pill?" he asked, breathlessly, not really caring one way or another at this point. It was a redundant question. She nodded, with her eyes closed in ecstasy, "Mmmhmm"  
As if she had given him a green light with that, he increased his rhythm and all too soon they both went over the edge, Betty only slightly ahead of Daniel.  
As he shook and trembled, she held onto him, then whispered, "I think that guy downstairs probably heard BOTH of us, Daniel!"  
He nodded, managing a weak smile as he kissed her, and stroked her hair, "Um…can I just say, WOW, Betty? That was totally unbelievable! I think we absolutely need to do that way more often.  
We should both just forget about work and make love all day and night from now on. What do you say?"  
She laughed, "Sure, why not? You're rich, we could afford to stay here for a while, and have our food delivered. Sounds good to me, Daniel. Or…we could check out of this ridiculously expensive hotel and go back to my place or yours and save it for nights and weekends.  
See, that way, we can afford to do it over a much longer period of time before we run out of money. Your way…I don't know. Sounds great at first, but even you aren't rich enough for really long term sustainability."  
He shook his head, as he lay next to her, catching his breath finally, "Spoil sport. You always have to be practical, don't you?"  
"Hey, I just said, it sounds good to me. I wish we could do that, Daniel, believe me. If we could, I'd be more than willing."  
He sat up, propped up on one elbow, tracing his finger over her. "So, was it worth the wait?"  
She looked at him, "You mean…the past few weeks? Or…all four years? Because either way, the answer is YES!"  
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Chapter 11: Chapter 11  
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Chapter 11  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
"Are you going to eat anything, Betty?"  
"Yeah. I'm starving. Ooh, you got champagne?"  
"Absolutely. Nothing but the best."  
Daniel popped the cork, and it went flying across the room and hit Betty on the hip. "Ow!"  
"Oh, Betty, honey! I'm so sorry. Are you okay? The stupid thing got away from me. I'm usually pretty good at catching it. Oh, baby. Is it really sore?"  
She rubbed it. "It's okay."  
"I could kiss it better for you." He smiled, looking down.  
She laughed, "It's fine, Daniel, really. I don't want you telling anybody you literally kissed my butt, thanks!"  
He chuckled. "Not that I wouldn't but…I'm really sorry. Forget that happened, please?"  
"I'll try. As long as it doesn't leave a bruise."  
He handed her a glass of champagne, looking at her hip as she rubbed it. "Let me see."  
"I told you, it's fine. It just stings a little."  
"Come on, Betty. Let me play doctor, okay?"  
"Fine, but if you tell me to bend over, I'll slap you."  
He laughed, "Fair enough. Please? I promise, I'll be gentle."  
"Sure you will. I've heard that before."  
"What? I'm gentle! I mean, maybe not that second time, but I was just trying to give you what you asked for, Betty."  
She let him examine her injury more closely. "Hmmm…I don't know, Miss Suarez. I think I might need to prescribe several more glasses of champagne for the pain. And a dose a day of Daniel."  
"Only one dose? I already got three doses tonight alone. What are you going to slack off later? This multiple times thing is a one night only performance, is that it?" She teased.  
He laughed at her, grabbing her around the waist and touching his forehead to hers. "Have I spoiled you already? You want it all night every night, now, huh?"  
She smiled, "Hey, you're the one who said you could do it in an ice storm in Alaska or whatever. Was that just bragging? Or was it because we waited so long? I mean, it really wasn't that long, Daniel."  
"You're kidding me, right, Betty? That's definitely the longest I've ever gone without. Ever. Way too long!"  
Betty was calculating in her head. She knew he hadn't had sex with anyone for almost four months after Molly died. "Longer than four months? Really? What about Trista?"  
"I didn't sleep with her, Betty. You were too busy being all jealous of her to let me! Besides, I didn't want to get an STD from her."  
"STD? You had her get tested or something? That's probably a good idea in her case. And yours."  
He rolled his eyes, "Thanks! But in her case, I meant sexually transmitted dumbness. You won't believe what she actually said to me once. She insisted that the saying was 'blessing in the skies' instead of disguise.  
What's really sad is I actually had to stop and think about it, and that's when it finally dawned on me that you were right, she was making ME dumber by association!"  
Betty laughed out loud, "Oh, my God, Daniel, you've got to be kidding! That's so funny! Blessing in the skies? I'm so glad you didn't stay with her. You'd be grunting by now, unable to read or something."  
"Hey! Okay, Miss Smart girl, be nice. We can't all be geniuses like you. Here, have some of this Beef Wellington. It's pretty good.  
I'm really hungry right now. I want some food in me before we think about round four and five."  
"FIVE? Daniel…We'll see, I guess." She shrugged as he handed her a plate. "Wow! This is really good."  
"Isn't it? Do you want some escargot?"  
She shot him a glance, "Kidding. I didn't get any, I promise. I don't think I want you singing and disturbing the neighbors. We already got a few pounds on the wall earlier."  
"Well, if somebody hadn't pounded ME against the wall like that, we wouldn't have to worry about disturbing them!"  
"Sorry, I got carried away. I thought you kind of liked it. Am I seriously hearing complaints now?"  
She smiled, "Not really. I just meant we were probably kind of noisy neighbors. And I'm sorry, why exactly would escargot make me sing, anyway?  
I don't really get the connection. Oh, you mean our 'date' when I saved you from getting stood up by Giselle?"  
"Hey, the walls at an exclusive place like this should be rock solid. And the only reason I was there waiting for Giselle in the first place was because you were trying to 'get me back on the horse' or whatever after Sofia, remember? You were my pimp!"  
"Personally, I'm glad these walls are not any harder than they are! I might have a concussion! And I was NOT your pimp, Daniel."  
He laughed. "Well, you make a cute one. Hey, I said I was sorry if I was too rough. I'll play nice from now on; I promise, Betty. I can be very gentle. Just tell me what you want. Your wish is my command, okay?"  
She ran her hands over his chest and arms, and pulled him down for a kiss, "I'm just messing with you, Daniel. You were great. All three times. Seriously amazing."  
He looked at her, giving her the 'puppy dog eyes' "Good enough to consider staying here another night? I don't want to go anywhere tomorrow. It's Saturday. I have some appointments to look at properties, but those aren't set in stone. I can blow them off till next weekend.  
I just want to enjoy this with you, Betty. Pretend the world doesn't exist for a while. At least extend our little fantasy an extra day?  
Maybe I'm not quite rich enough to do this indefinitely, but I can absolutely afford a lost weekend with you."  
She nodded, "Okay, Daniel. I guess Danny Bear will be alright by himself for a few days while I spend time with the original. You know, he has been really nice to snuggle up to when I got scared or lonely. I'm glad you got him for me."  
"Should I be jealous?"  
She giggled, "No. He's not anatomically correct, remember? He's only for snuggling when I get freaked out. Any more intimate needs I have are going straight to the source-I promise."  
"So, come, sit on my lap, little girl and tell big Danny what you want for Christmas."  
"Big Danny, huh? You called yourself 'Danny'?"  
He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her neck, and pulling at the robe she had put on while they were eating. "Why did you cover up, Betty? I want to see those great boobs."  
"Daniel! You did not just say that!"  
"What?" he laughed, "Do you know how long I've waited to say that to you, Betty? You've got great boobs!"  
She laughed as he continued to kiss her neck and kept trying to open her robe, then playfully tickled her back onto the bed.  
She giggled, but reached over him to the cart for one more piece of fruit. "Mmmm…strawberries with chocolate are so good! I'm still kind of hungry, Daniel. We worked up an appetite."  
He nodded, taking a bite of her strawberry. "Yep. Okay. Five more minutes of eating. Then, it's back to us."  
"God you're a tough boss, Daniel." She giggled.  
"Depends on the situation. I can be very hard, it's true. But, I'm fair. Hey, at least I'm not still having you shine my shoes or whatever. That was really stupid! I'm so sorry I was such a jerk, Betty. Seriously, I don't know how you put up with me that first week!"  
She shrugged, "I needed the job. But you're right. You were kind of a spoiled jerk at first. Until you came and apologized. That's when you started actually acting like a human being and let me see the real you."  
She fed him a bite. "Good!" he exclaimed.  
She nodded as he returned the favor. "Mmm… so good." She closed her eyes, enjoying the food.  
"Now see, that makes me want you again, hearing you moan like that, Betty. I think 'big Danny' is ready for round four right now!"  
Monday came too soon, and Daniel was trying to get memories of his 'lost weekend' with Betty out of his head so he could concentrate on his new job at Dunne.  
He had to sign a waiver that he would not 'work' for Mode or any other competing publications while he was a Dunne employee.  
It sounded complicated and he had spoken to his family lawyers who basically told him it was alright for him to work for another publishing company and still be a Meade shareholder. He just couldn't work for any of Meade's publications at the same time.  
It sort of made sense to him as they explained it, but he didn't think he would know how to repeat his limitations. Basically, he had ninety days to decide if he wanted to stay working for Dunne or if he would go back to any of Meade's magazines (like Alexis and his mother seemed to want him to do.)  
He knew they both would have liked for Daniel to step up and deal with the mess at Mode UK, and he understood why they thought he would be the perfect person for the job.  
He had experience, he was living here now, and it was his family's business. That was the whole point of him leaving Mode in New York, though. They just didn't seem to get that he wanted something of his own.  
For her part, Betty had been working like crazy since she had arrived even before she officially started on Wednesday. She had been constantly on the phone Sunday afternoon, when they left the hotel and faced reality.  
By the time Wednesday came, she couldn't believe how entrenched she was already in the job. This was an enormous undertaking.  
When she got back to her flat, Daniel was there, waiting for her with a bottle of champagne and a four course meal from Gordon Ramsey's.  
She walked in and he greeted her, "Hey, Betty! Welcome home. Thanks for letting me crash here until I find my own place. You were right. That hotel I was in was a little pricey, I guess. Almost as much as The Ritz! This is definitely tiny, but luckily I don't mind at all being on top of you. So, how was your first day?"  
He kissed her and handed her a glass of the champagne. She drank it and smiled, "Crazy! Daniel, I'm starting to see how much pressure you had on you at Mode! No wonder you drank and slept around! This is nuts!"  
He laughed, "Yeah, but I survived it because I had you, Betty. And you have me, now. Now that I know how to run a magazine, I can help you. IF you need my help. I mean, you know I could never have done that without you."  
He toasted her, "To us, Betty! Being here for each other. We can do this!"  
She laughed, "I love that you're giving me the pep talks now, Daniel. I love this champagne, too. And you got dinner? You're like the sweetest boyfriend ever!" she kissed him.  
He grinned, like a kid who has been praised. "How's your little champagne cork boo boo? You want me to rub it? I still owe you that deluxe foot rub, too. You sort of distracted me with the whole letting me sleep with you."  
She looked at him gratefully. "Oh, Daniel! A foot rub sounds like heaven! You really know the way to my heart!"  
He smiled, taking her glass and leading her to the new couch he had gotten her. "Come on, sweetie! Let Daniel take care of you."  
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Chapter 12: Chapter 12  
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I Need You/Chapter 12  
Disclaimer: Don't own/don't sue!  
A/N: First off, for those of you following this story, sorry I've taken so long to update. But, I've had two factors at play. Mainly, not enough time in the day. I also had my other stories to work on, plus RL BS to deal with, in the form of wicked ex SIL's and other crap! Not to mention, job hunting.  
Then, there's the fact that I was a chicken to do what I had planned for this story all along…  
Sorry to do this to you, but if you look at the category for this story and remember how it began, you'll see it is really supposed to be angst/romance. I've let you (and myself) off the hook with so much comedy and romance (sex teasing/final hook-up/pillow talk), but here comes some of that angst again I was talking about. I know, I know, angst sucks, but hey, that's life, right? Don't worry, as always, detty will prevail. Stay hopeful romantics. I'm trying to…  
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After having a nice meal and some wine, Daniel's foot and neck rub had put Betty in a very relaxed mood. "Mmmm…Daniel. You should seriously open a massage parlor. You are fantastic at this.  
My feet are so sensitive, I can't even get a pedicure, but you managed to make them feel like heaven. Good job, sweetie!"  
He leaned down from massaging her shoulders to kiss her cheek. He had her lying on the bed, with only a towel to cover her.  
"Thank you, Betty. I aim to please. I think I'll start with your back and work my way down."  
She laughed, "Daniel! Is this going to be a professional massage, or a sexy one?"  
"Both! It's going to be a massage so sexy it feels professional."  
"Okay. That sounded really dirty, Daniel."  
"Yeah, well, it might get that way. No telling. Just lay there and relax and let me um….make you comfortable." He whispered as he leaned down, rubbing across her back with the oil he was using.  
After a very thorough massage, that also got very sexual in nature, Betty turned around, and they began kissing feverishly.  
Daniel had already taken off his shirt and she reached down to help him remove his pants, so he was just in his boxers. After they began kissing and groping one another with wild abandon, they heard the door buzzer going off several times and loud knocking.  
Daniel rolled his eyes and signed, "Perfect timing! I wonder who the hell that is!  
Crap! I need a minute here. He handed Betty her towel that had slipped off and tried to compose himself, before yelling out, "I'm coming! Hold your horses!" to Betty, he turned, "Just stay right there, Betty. I'll be right back to do your front side!"  
"Okay, Daniel. If that's one of my neighbors, you might want to put a shirt on, too!" She threw his shirt at him, laughing.  
"Hey, it might be a lady neighbor, in which case…."  
"Don't even think about it, Meade!" she warned.  
"Just kidding, Betty. Stay warmed up for me." he reached down to plant a soft kiss on her lips.  
He tried to look through the door, but really couldn't see anything. "Sorry, who is it?"  
"Daniel Meade?"  
"Who wants to know?" Daniel looked puzzled. He was trying to think who knew he was staying with Betty.  
"I've got a delivery for Daniel Meade."  
"Delivery?" Daniel cautiously opened the door, just a crack.  
"Yeah! You think you're some big shot what's going to fire me without so much as a how'dya do, then, MATE? Well you can go to hell!"  
James Durocher pulled a gun out of the paper bag he had by his side and fired point blank at Daniel's back as he saw it and turned away.  
In his blind terror and panic, Daniel worried that this crazy man would also hurt Betty in the other room, so he yelled as loudly as he could, "I'm waiting for my girlfriend to get back from the store!"  
The man looked puzzled, "So? What do I care about that? Stupid self-righteous, pompous asshole! Die like the dog you are.  
I worked hard for your father for thirty years and just because I ran into a little trouble at the track recently is no reason to fire me without cause, without even having the balls to face me!" he looked up, hearing a noise coming from the bedroom.  
Daniel was barely conscious and losing a lot of blood, but he was more worried about Betty's welfare right now.  
As Durocher passed him to investigate the noise, Daniel reached out his hand and grabbed the man down by his leg, causing the gun to fly out of his hand, as it went off again. Daniel yelled out as loudly as he could, "Betty, he dropped the gun. Come and get it!"  
She came running in, with the towel still around her and bit her lip, looking like she was in agony, seeing Daniel lying on the floor in a pool of blood. "Daniel! You're shot!"  
"Just get his gun, hurry. Then call the police. Maybe go get a neighbor for some help with him if he comes to."  
She reached quickly to get the man's gun and although her hands were shaking, she held it with both hands and stared at him, as he had hit his head on the corner of a bookshelf and it was bleeding profusely.  
He started to get up, but Betty continued to hold the gun on him, "Don't move!" She felt so strange and helpless saying that to this monster. Luckily, one of her neighbors across the hall, a middle-aged man, Patrick Sullivan had heard the shots and commotion and came in. He took one look at his terrified, shaking neighbor.  
"Miss Suarez, right? It's your neighbor, Patrick, remember? Are you alright, Miss? What's going on, here, then?"  
She cried, passing the gun to him, "Can you please take this, and make sure he doesn't do anything else?" He took the gun from her trembling hands,  
"Thank you. I've got to call an ambulance for my boyfriend. Oh, God, Daniel! You're…oh, please stay with me! Don't pass out!"  
She grabbed his cell phone off the kitchen table and kneeled on the floor beside him, stroking his hair, but afraid to move him. She was trembling and crying, but she managed to dial nine-nine-nine and call for help.  
"The ambulance is on its way, Daniel. Please hang on, honey. Don't leave me. I need you, please stay with me!" She sobbed only touching his hair, but used the kitchen towel her neighbor had thrown to her to try and stop Daniel's bleeding.  
Durocher attempted to move, and Sullivan hit him on the back of the head with his own gun, knocking him unconscious. Betty looked surprised, but Patrick shrugged and grinned, "Bloke was bugging me. This way, we don't have to be wasting our time watchin im, and can see to yer boyfriend. What the hell is this? Not a love triangle? That blighter's too old fer you. I take it he's not yer da, neither. So, what's his beef with yer man there, anyway?"  
"I think this must be the man Daniel fired recently for stealing from his company and gambling."  
"Oh, I see. Well, let's see how Daniel is it? Is doing. Daniel! Are you alive, mate?"  
"Mmm barely. Is Betty okay?"  
"Yeah, mate. She's right here with you, holding your hand. But I think I'm going to send her to go get some clothes on before she catches pneumonia waiting for your ambulance. And here they are, just in time.  
If you want to go get dressed, Miss Betty, I'll tell the paramedics what's what until you get back. Don't worry. He'll be right as rain. I have a feeling it looks much worse than it is. Go ahead, now luv."  
She leaned down and kissed Daniel's cheek. "Daniel. I'll be right back. Don't fade out on me. I love you. You hang in there for me, okay?"  
"Okay, Betty. I love you, too." He managed a weak smile, while still lying on his stomach, with his head to the side on the floor. Neither Betty nor her neighbor had tried to move him; for fear that they might paralyze him, because of the location of his wound.  
She hurried and dressed in the first thing she found, jeans and a sweater, then practically ran back out to see James Durocher coming to again, this time, her neighbor hit him even harder, knocking him out again. The paramedics seeing to Daniel's injuries didn't comment.  
She looked at him with wide eyes, and he shrugged, "Still not feeling like messin about with that one! Crazy bugger! I'm afraid your Daniel's passed out, though, luv.  
I've been holding this as hard as I dared to without pressin on his spine, but to try and stop the bleedin'. Thank the Lord, the coppers, and ambulance are here, luv. It's only been ten minutes. Just seems like longer to us."  
Betty was crying, trying to rouse Daniel gently, but he was unconscious now. Her neighbor let her hug him, and cry on his shoulder, patting her on the back gently, "There, there, luv. He's a strong, young man. I'm sure he'll be alright, you'll see. Just try and hang in there. Is there someone you'd like me to call?"  
"Yes, his mother, Claire Meade. Her number is in his contacts, and his sister, Alexis is in there, too. His sister only lives in Paris, but Claire's in New York, so maybe call her first, if you don't mind, please? I'm going with him to the hospital.  
If I tell them we're engaged or something, they'll let me stay with him in the ambulance and into ICU, right? Because I'm not leaving him. I want to be there when he wakes up."  
He patted her hand, "Yeah, that's a good idea, luv. Tell him you're his fiancé and you should be golden. They'll let you stay with him. Good luck. I'll keep his phone then and call his mum and sister for ya! Just call me at his number if you think of anyone else ya need me to contact for you. Let me know how he's farin' later, now."  
She hugged him again, "Thank you so much, Patrick. I really appreciate all your help tonight. I was so scared. I'm glad you were here. I would have been lost without you."  
"No trouble at all, luv. Take care, now."  
After she had accompanied Daniel to the hospital, holding his hand and talking quietly to him, waiting, and hoping he would waken soon, she finally was able to speak to the doctor. He told her Daniel was going to need emergency surgery and asked about his next of kin.  
Betty told the doctor that his sister, Alexis was only in Paris, and she would contact her to make sure her neighbor had alerted her to Daniel's condition and see when she would be there. "You need to speak to her, then?"  
"Yes, miss. I'll have to see what sort of medical power of attorney she might have for her brother. He's going to need someone to sign for the surgery, if at all possible. Call her and make certain she'll be here tonight.  
Otherwise, I may have to try and track down the next local person on his list, wait, Betty Suarez? That's you, right, luv?" she blinked heavily, not aware that Daniel had listed her as a 'next of kin'. She knew she had to fill out similar 'emergency contact' forms at work, though, and she, too, had listed Daniel under local contacts.  
She nodded, and whispered quietly, "Yes, that's me. I'm his emergency contact here in London. He signed me as his medical power of attorney, too?"  
She waited, terrified to hear what the doctors needed to do to repair the damage done by the bullet that had entered Daniel's back. While she was waiting to speak to the specialist, the reality of everything hit her and she broke down, sobbing, feeling like her world was caving in around her. Nothing would ever be the same.  
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Chapter 13: Chapter 13  
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I Need You  
Chapter 13  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Ugly Betty  
After almost a month, which is a really long time for me not to update, I think I'm finally ready to continue with this story I started back in June. I knew when I started it; I was in a very dark place in my own life. It's a very difficult thing to lose the one person who you loved the more than anyone and who really loved you.  
I somehow wanted to share those somewhat dark feelings in this story. But of course, I don't intend to inflict the real-life tragedy I've been dealing with on my favorite characters, though, so don't despair, detty will prevail. I have a rough idea this will go for two or three more chapters, more or less. It started out as a two-shot, but after so many kind reviews and messages telling me you enjoyed it, I decided to carry it forward.  
For a long time, I haven't been able to feel my life, and in my writing, I've only wanted everything to be a happy, funny, romantic comedy. That's all I've been able to write, too. Nothing too real. Nothing too close to home. I hope this, being my first attempt to change that a bit, to get a little more real isn't too dark. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, anyway. There's always hope.  
Nothing felt the same after your new boyfriend had been shot in the back, Betty thought, numbly.  
She had barely been going through the motions of what her life used to be. The new job, the one she worked so hard for, left everything and everybody she knew for held no joy anymore.  
Her new life, her new place, it all seemed like so much background noise now. Nothing and no one in her life had any lasting effect on her anymore. Most of the time, she felt like she was sleepwalking. If she could have slept, that is.  
Nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. She barely spoke to anyone; even Claire could barely get a word out of the once chatty young woman. Her once bright eyes were dull and listless. She was a hollow shell of herself.  
She couldn't think about a future without the one man who she had spent almost every waking hour of her life around since she first met him four and a half years ago.  
Everything revolved around the fact that the man she loved, the one and only man who ever really and truly loved her, understood her and 'got' her could possibly be paralyzed for the rest of his life. If he ever woke up at all.  
Betty was inconsolable, when she first heard this possibility. She cried for three days straight. Her papi had come to London, had moved in with her when Christina couldn't get her best friend to get out of bed and finally, had to relinquish her post to go back to Scotland when Ignacio arrived.  
As she picked up the man from the airport, he tried to ask the right questions, "Do the doctors know anything more yet?"  
"Not really. The bullet only grazed his spinal cord and caused swelling as it passed through, but it's close enough that things could go either way.  
He was on life support for several days and they kept trying to tell his family and Betty then it didn't look good, but they refused to believe that.  
She was there, by his bed almost day and night, until the hospital literally forced her to go home. Once Mrs. Meade joined Alexis and DJ here, they finally persuaded Betty to come home with me and take a wee break from his bedside.  
Poor thing, she almost collapsed. She slept for fifteen hours; she was so exhausted when I first brought her home. But, although her new boss is understandin', it's very bad timing with her launch and she may end up losing everything she's worked for all this time if she can't try to focus on her job again at least long enough to put out her first issue.  
Mr. Suarez, I just don't know what to do. She seems to be in a daze. It's like nothin is really registerin anymore. She's on autopilot.  
Nothin is important to her. I know she cared somethin fierce about her job and she worked her arse off to put out this first issue up until this happened. But Daniel…"  
"Is her amor de verdad. I know. She loves him very much. This is devastating for my Betty. I understand how she must be feeling.  
The only way I pulled myself out of that dark hole I was in when my Rosa died was because I had the rest of my family around me.  
Plus, I knew Betty and Hilda were depending on me. Justin was so young and my girls were devastated, losing their mami.  
In many ways, this must be even harder for Betty, though, because they had only just started their romance, even though they both loved one another all these years.  
I'm sure she feels like she and Daniel wasted so much time, being too afraid to admit their feeling for one another and now this has happened, threatening to tear them apart. It breaks my heart for my Betty. She deserves to be happy with Daniel."  
Once Ignacio took over caring for his daughter, he eventually got her to talk about her feelings. At first, she cried and her father simply held her and listened to her fears and sorrow. The things she had hoped for, all her dreams for her and her true love seemed dashed, or at least on interminable hold.  
After they went to see Daniel again and spoke to Claire, Alexis, and DJ about his condition, they worked out a schedule so that someone would always be with him, in case he woke up. No one wanted him to wake up alone.  
Although the doctors were less than hopeful in the beginning that he would wake up at all, that wasn't a possibility any of them were even remotely close to considering at this point.  
Daniel Meade was not dead. He was not giving up. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was starting over, with the love of his life in a new country. His life wasn't over. It should have been just beginning.  
Betty stayed behind when everyone went to get some dinner one night. She went to his bedside, trying to ignore the machines that were hooked up to him as she squeezed his hand, talking like she used to, a mile a minute.  
She hadn't done that since she first came to see him, she realized. She had just been able to pat him, and watch him, crying, and calling his name, but had been unable to really 'talk to him' as if he could actually hear her.  
But now, she was looking at his face, and visualizing him talking back to her, as if none of this crazy stuff had ever happened. "You know, Daniel, I've got so much to do with the launch, I seriously don't know where to start. I've got the venue picked out and the caterers.  
We have the issue ready to be shipped out, but it's this stupid party that's got me all freaked out.  
You know how I get about parties. Amanda was always sort of my go-to person for what to do with them. She really helped me that time for the Mode Christmas party you made us do in the office on practically no budget. She had so many sexual favors stored up, we didn't spend a dime. In fact, I think we may have even made money, somehow.  
So, I hope you don't mind if I sleep with a few dozen British guys to build up some equity for my launch party."  
"Over my dead body." She heard him gruffly say.  
Betty blinked, thinking she had imagined hearing his voice. But then, she finally realized, it was HIM! Daniel had spoken to her. He had responded to something after all this time.  
Doctors had told them that after a few weeks, they could tell if the paralysis was only due to swelling, or if the damage was more permanent.  
Surgery had repaired as much as possible; a broken rib had caused some damage to his lung and had to be seen to immediately. But now, only time would tell.  
His outlook seemed to improve every day. But the doctors had been concerned over his lack of response to any outside stimulus. No one seemed to be getting through to him. Not even Betty. This was a major breakthrough.  
She was torn. Should she go yelling for a nurse or doctor right now? She decided it was more important that she hear his voice again.  
Now, SHE had hope. Finally, after all these weeks, she dared to hope that her Daniel would recover. He would be alright. Life wasn't over, after all.  
She leaned next to his face and kissed his temple, "Daniel, I love you. You've got to get better. Open your eyes, squeeze my hand, blink or something, for God's sake. You've been lying here like a damn vegetable for weeks.  
You scared the hell out of me! Don't ever do that again, mister! You came here for us and then you go thinking you're mister hero or something and…and almost get killed on me? That's just not acceptable, damn you, Daniel!"  
"Language, Betty." His voice sounded gravelly and hoarse, but it was Daniel. She wanted more. She tried to see if he was really there, really himself, in spite of everything he had been through.  
"You know, you still owe me the rest of my sexy backrub, Daniel. I'm going to hold you to it."  
She could tell he was fighting to open his eyes, but not quite there yet. She kissed his cheek and put her hand on his the best she could with all the IV tubes.  
"I'll tell you what, Daniel. When you get out of here, I'll give you the best backrub you can imagine. Who knows? If you're a really good boy, you might even get lucky!"  
"Ice cream?" he whispered.  
She almost laughed, but then cried. "If you want some. You have to open your eyes, though, Daniel. Let me see those gorgeous blue eyes, please?"  
Finally, after several minutes of agonizing, she saw his eyes flutter and even saw the hint of a smile as he with extreme effort whispered, "Hey."  
She wrapped her arms around his neck, as carefully as she could and kissed his lips briefly and warmly, "Hey, yourself, sexy. It's so good to see those eyes, Daniel. God, I missed you. Nothing matters without you.  
My job, nothing in my life has meant anything to me thinking I might lose you. You're all that matters to me, Daniel. I love you, you goof. Don't you even think of leaving me ever, okay?"  
He licked his parched lips, and managed, "Bossy Betty."  
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Chapter 14: Chapter 14  
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I Need You  
Chapter 14  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
Daniel knew he made a terrible patient. Probably because he absolutely hated feeling out of control of his body. Having an insane guy shoot you in the back wasn't exactly on his list of possible ways he thought he might die, either.  
Actually, come to think of it, though, if he had ever accidentally slept with a married woman and her husband caught them… Still, this whole situation was totally absurd to him. Daniel always prided himself on the fact that he could pretty much talk his way out of most bad situations.  
A skill he had picked up in high school and college to avoid getting pummeled by jealous ex-boyfriends whose girls Daniel had 'stolen' at least for a night or two.  
So he had learned to be the guy who listened to the heartbroken slobs and convinced them not to mope, but instead go out and hit on someone else, because there was certainly plenty of fish out there.  
Yeah, he knew, he used to be a dog. But hey, when you sucked at fighting, you did what you had to in order to survive.  
But this stupid Durocher guy didn't even let him talk. Where the hell did the man even get a gun in the UK, he wondered? But right now, he didn't waste more time because it was time for Betty to visit him again. He had made it clear she had to limit her time with him.  
He didn't want her spending all day, every day taking care of his sorry ass and letting all her hard work go to waste on her magazine.  
He had also quickly shot down his mother's idea that she have him 'shipped' back to New York like he was a side of meat or something so she could get a nurse for him and have him home with her.  
"Mom, look, this is just going to slow me down a little, that's all. Once I'm back up and on my feet, I'll just go back to doing what I planned and work for Dunne. You've got Alexis here now at Mode UK. So, you don't really need me there and you even said yourself, Wilhelmina has been like a different person now that she finally got Mode.  
I don't want to be a burden on everybody. I'll be up and walking before you know it."  
He kept saying things like that and hoping if he said it enough, it would become reality.  
The truth of the matter though, was the swelling hadn't gone down as quickly as the doctors had hoped and he still couldn't feel his legs.  
God, it was a scary thought. So, in typical Daniel fashion, he didn't think about it. He focused on the things he could deal with.  
Like Betty. He was driving her a little crazy, sending her ideas non-stop for her launch party. He had even called for reinforcements and sent Amanda a plane ticket and asked her to help Betty.  
At first, Betty had been a little upset that he sent for his ex fun-buddy, but she knew he was only trying to help her, because he also offered to pay for Tyler to come, too.  
Tyler, being the proud man that he was, however, insisted he would pay his own way and join his girlfriend as soon as he finished the photo shoot he was on.  
Amanda realized quickly how Betty might be intimidated or misinterpret Daniel's motives in bringing her there, so she insisted on staying with Betty instead of using the hotel Daniel had offered to get her while she was there, helping with the launch.  
Having Betty gone for months, and getting little contact from her 'bestie' during that time had made it clear to her that Betty was still a little insecure not only with her newfound relationship with Daniel but especially now that the big goof had sent for her, without a thought of how it would affect Betty.  
Amanda herself was the happiest she had been with Tyler. He actually made her feel smart and having to be patient while he went to rehab and being there for him, having him call her his angel, these were things she knew she had never had with another man.  
She was genuinely thrilled about Betty and Daniel. Amanda saw how they had always looked at each other and knew something was going on between them, even if they had both been too dumb to act on it before.  
So, while she was waiting for Tyler to join her in London, she made it her business to help Betty realize how deep Daniel's feelings were for her and that she should definitely not be threatened by her or any of Daniel's past 'flings', since that's all any of them had been before Betty.  
Amanda wanted to set Daniel straight, too about how he should be treating Betty. But, of course, there was that pesky business about him being paralyzed now and all, she realized.  
It scared her to think of Daniel Meade possibly being unable to walk for the rest of his life? She shook off the idea. It couldn't happen to someone like Daniel. Not him.  
Things like that didn't happen to gorgeous, sweet guys like Daniel. Especially not now that he had finally gotten a clue about his best friend and followed said best friend to England to be her very own Prince Charming. And God knows, Betty deserved to be happy, if anybody did.  
After a nice lunch at a local pub, Betty went back to work and Amanda told her, "I've been talking to some people and we've got the 'list' going around for your party, Betty. I know Daniel's name is enough to get the Beck's here and…"  
"Beckett Scott is coming? I thought he was in Mogadishu?"  
"Not that guy! The horn dog? No, I meant, you know, Victoria, who tried to steal the show at Willi's almost wedding to Bradford and her God-like hunky hubby, DAVID, Betty, come on, the BeckHAMS!"  
"Oh, okay. Yeah."  
Amanda continued rattling off names of local celebrities, mostly with fashion connections, "Stella McCartney's going to be in town and all these people who are dying to see Daniel uh…"  
She stopped, suddenly realizing that Daniel would very likely not be up and about in time for the launch.  
Betty had not really been paying all that close attention as Amanda was talking on and on, but noticed her sudden silence and realized what had occurred. That moment where the shit hit the fan and you started thinking, "Oh my God" and wondering, scared as hell if this was going to be permanent.  
Betty, as usual, found herself feeling sorry that Amanda had evidently just now hit that wall.  
The one that she herself had smacked into just as forcefully as her first day at Mode when the doctors had their 'chat' with all of them, Claire, Alexis, DJ, and Betty, telling them that at this point, it was still far too early to tell how serious Daniel's injuries were.  
He could walk away, perfectly fine if the swelling went down, or…not. Daniel himself, had certainly been told the situation, but had gone through despair, not talking to anyone (barely even Betty), anger, throwing things at the nurses, and now he was firm into the denial stage.  
Hence, his determination that he was going to help Betty get through her launch party, and make sure she kept her job and everything in her life went as smoothly as possible. She knew he was trying to not think about his own situation by focusing on her.  
For her part, Betty went through her usual process of dealing with potential tragic situations. First, she read everything she could, trying to educate herself.  
She cried herself to sleep reading all of Christopher Reeve's books, and even started sneaking into a local church, lighting candles and praying, even though she hadn't set foot inside a church since her mother died.  
She tried to help Alexis and DJ get moved into their new Condo. Alexis had taken Daniel's shooting as a sign that she needed to come handle the crisis at Mode UK herself, like she felt now she should have done in the first place. She pulled DJ out of school in France and stepped in as the CEO at Mode UK.  
Everyone there was beside themselves with sorrow at what James had done to Daniel. They all felt somehow responsible for what had happened, with Alexis the leader of the group.  
She was working herself crazy, trying to deal with all the details of her new job, and getting Claire settled in for as long as it took to stay with her and DJ and help out at Mode, when they weren't at the hospital, trying to encourage Daniel and driving the hospital staff crazy out of sheer frustration.  
Betty sometimes found herself playing peacemaker, and trying to calm Alexis and Claire down, "You know, if you two don't stop, you're going to have to buy a wing of this hospital or else, they're going to kick Daniel out.  
I know you're both upset. We all are, just…" she broke down and both Claire and Alexis ran to her, feeling guilty to place more stress on the poor girl.  
Alexis shook her head, "God, Betty, I'm so sorry! This mess is all my fault! If I hadn't made Danny go and deal with it instead of doing it myself, none of this would have happened! You must hate me! I know I do!"  
Betty looked at her, somewhat surprised, "I don't hate you, Alexis."  
"That's just because you're so nice. I know Daniel must surely hate me. I always took away everything from him, just because I could, because I was mean. He was always the nice one. Now…God, I should have never sent him over there to deal with that maniac!"  
Claire and Betty both tried to comfort her.  
"Alexis, there is no way on earth you could have known this guy was insane and would attack Daniel like that! He's going to get better. I just know it. This is all going to be fine. He's going to be back to normal."  
She saw that Claire and Alexis were now looking at her, but this was ridiculous. They didn't have time to fall apart now. She definitely didn't have time for a pity party. She had already gone through several when things looked so grim right after Daniel had been shot.  
Now that he was at least talking and moving from the waist up, things were looking much better. She tried to focus on the positive and not dwell on the possible negative future that was still an unknown. What did the AA meetings always tell you, "One day at a time"?  
Yeah, that was Betty's life now. One day at a time. One step after another, and the thought that how one minute of your life could affect the rest of that life so dramatically was a lesson she would never forget.  
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Chapter 15: Chapter 15  
________________________________________  
I Need You  
Chapter 15  
Disclaimer: Don't own/don't sue!  
After putting him through the ringer, I'm going to have mercy on poor Daniel in this little tale. I had this ending in mind for a while now, but just got distracted. Sorry to drag it out. You know I usually don't do that, but this 'angst' stuff has been harder to write than I anticipated going in. Anyway, I'll try to wrap things up this chapter, but it may be a bit long. Hope you enjoy!  
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Betty thought she was going to fall to her knees when she heard Daniel tell her he was going to return to New York right after her launch party that weekend. She had been so happy to tell him her news when she came in to his private room.  
But of course, as usual he had done his 'me first' routine and she had let him. Why had she done that this time?  
"I know you, Betty. You have this new magazine to actually start putting out now and I, of all people, know how much work that's going to involve. When I'm back on my feet, I'll be able to help you. But we both know how you are. You would drive yourself into an early grave trying to be here cheering me on when you just don't have the time right now to do anything but your job.  
I know you don't have a selfish bone in your body, sweetie. That's why I'm not giving you a say in this, because I know you'd try to 'make it work' and I really don't think it can right now. Don't worry; I'll be back as soon as I finish my physical therapy."  
She looked at him, in shock, "Do you still have the physical therapist's number you had from your accident with Alexis? I know how much you liked her."  
He rolled his eyes, "Ha ha! Funny lady. Betty…are you jealous? Seriously? Look at me, I'm finally able to bear my own weight and I've got a good six months of intense therapy before I can hope to walk like an old man even.  
I'm a real prize! I would think you're going to be the one I have to worry about while I'm gone, Betty."  
She almost blurted out what she had come to tell him, but didn't want to throw a ringer into his plans until she had a chance to talk things over with Claire and Alexis to see what their thoughts were about how Daniel was doing.  
She was extremely grateful that he had a positive attitude and she knew that he was worried about her doing too much for him when she had just started. But he didn't understand how much their relationship was an interdependent one.  
She needed his smile, his encouragement, his love, just as much as he depended on her. The idea of his being gone for several months, especially right now, just didn't sit well with her.  
After much debate, Betty finally agreed with the decision everyone seemed to think was best for Daniel. She wanted so badly to tell them all her secret, but the last thing Daniel needed was more pressure, more guilt over not being back to his old self yet.  
She had watched him go through a mild depression when he had to miss out on her big night.  
Marc had come and he and Amanda had filmed it for him in a way to try and make him laugh, and he had tried to make light of the situation, but she could tell he was miserable not being able to share in her joy and show the world how proud he was of her.  
Tyler had even started bonding with Daniel, encouraging him in his progress. He had brought out Daniel's competitive spirit and helped him in his workouts.  
So, knowing he had all the support of his family there in New York that he wouldn't have here convinced Betty to make the hardest decision in her life and let him go.  
Seeing him off at the airport had her running to the ladies room as soon as he had left, crying her eyes out. Now she was alone in London. Claire, Amanda, and Tyler had returned to New York with Daniel and Alexis was busy most nights with Mode UK.  
She wondered if she belonged here anymore. Her heart wasn't in the job and the charms of London she and Daniel had enjoyed so much was lost on her.  
She felt like an empty, lonely version of herself. But she had to try and keep up a good attitude. Not just for herself, but for her baby, too.  
She had wanted so badly to share the news with Daniel. She knew how much he had wanted ever since DJ came into his life to be a father and she was sure he would normally be thrilled at the prospect of a child of his own.  
However, things not being 'normal' by any stretch of the imagination now, Betty tried to simply get by and deal with everything on her own.  
After five months, she started making excuses not to Skype with Daniel once she began to show and he seemed somewhat sullen as she seemed to be pulling away from contact.  
For his part, Daniel worried she might have met someone else while he was gone, but he didn't dare voice that concern, for fear saying it out loud would somehow jinx things.  
Hilda and her family knew of her situation, but Betty had sworn them all to secrecy and this time, she was fairly certain even Hilda could keep her secret.  
None of them agreed with her choice to keep her pregnancy from Daniel temporarily, but they respected her wishes and promised to leave it up to Betty when and how she would tell him.  
When Daniel was unable to reach her, however, he called the Suarez home. "Mr. Suarez? It's Daniel. I can't get a hold of Betty. Do you know where she is?  
I just keep getting her voice mail on her cell and since it's the weekend, there's nobody in her office. I tried her assistant, but she's in Europe for some conference and hasn't spoken to Betty since Thursday. I'm starting to get worried. When did you speak to her last?"  
Since the hospital had contacted him when Betty went in for the 'false labor' pains she was having, Mr. Suarez was feeling a little concerned himself, and came to a decision. "Daniel, you are able to walk now, right?"  
"Pretty much, yes. I still have several more weeks of therapy before they give me a clean bill of health, but I'm a lot better. Why? Is Betty okay?  
Please tell me what's going on. I know she's hiding something from me. She won't let me see her anymore. She isn't ill, is she? Please tell me if you know."  
Ignacio could tell the underlying edge to Daniel's voice. Of course, after Molly, his mind would go there. Having lost his wife to the big C, as well, he had no intention of putting Daniel through even a moment of worry that Betty was hiding some major illness from him.  
"Daniel, it isn't that at all. Betty is perfectly healthy. She's just having some mild contractions. They simply have her in the hospital for observation, but she is fine."  
"Contractions? She's…?"  
"Sorry to be the one to let the cat out of the bag, mijoh. I know Betty wanted to let you know as soon as you got back to London, but I don't want you to be worried about her."  
He could tell Daniel was grinning even over the phone, "Really? She's pregnant?"  
"Yes, she is."  
"Mr. Suarez, can you be ready to leave in an hour? Bring your passport. I'm taking you with me."  
"To London?"  
"Yes. I can't have Betty going through this alone. I'm assuming…well, she hasn't met anyone else, has she? That's not why she didn't tell me? It IS my baby, right?"  
"Yes, yes. It's definitely yours, Daniel. Betty wanted to tell you so many times. She was just concerned that this would distract you from your therapy and you were doing so well here in New York with your family's support, she has been dying to tell you, though. It's been killing her not to.  
I'm sure I'll get an earful from her for spilling the beans, but I just know how much you went through with your first wife and I couldn't have you thinking for a second Betty was seriously ill."  
"Thank you, Mr. Suarez."  
"I guess you'd better call me Ignacio, Daniel, since you are going to be the father of my grandchild."  
Daniel took a minute to process that, as he started hurriedly throwing underwear, tee shirts, and jeans into a bag, and grabbing his passport.  
He stopped and took a deep breath, "Wow. That's true. Well, grandpa, do you know the sex? If you do, please don't tell me. I want to be surprised."  
Ignacio was starting to gather his things, as well, but stopped to smile. "I know. But mum's the word. I think I already have blown enough surprises for one day.  
I'm just going to let my work and family know I'll be out of town for a few weeks or so for the birth of my grandchild. Thanks for the ride, Daniel."  
"No problem, grandpa Ignacio. I know Betty calls you papi, is it 'grand papi' in Spanish?"  
He laughed, "Abuelo is fine."  
"Abuelo. Cool. Well, I'll be there in about forty minutes with a car to pick you up, abuelo. Let's go see if we can persuade Betty to marry me. I've got your support on that, I hope?"  
"I don't know, Daniel. She's pretty stubborn. She may not want you marrying her just because she's having your child. She'll be worried that you'll feel trapped somehow and not want to get married just for that reason. You know Betty."  
"Well, does it help that I already bought a ring for her and was planning on surprising her with it when I came back to London next month? I just wanted to be able to actually get down on one knee and get back up by myself before I proposed. But that seems unimportant now."  
Ignacio grinned, "That's wonderful news. Yes, I think she'll be fine once she knows you had planned on proposing anyway, then, Daniel. Congratulations, by the way. For everything."  
"She hasn't said yes yet. I'm not counting on anything. I'm well aware that Betty doesn't need me for my name or to support her or the   
baby. She's always been the one I needed to lean on since I met her."  
"I think she will say yes. She loves you very much, Daniel. She's having your baby. She's missed you terribly since you left."  
"Let's hope so. I'll see you soon."  
The flight had Daniel checking his watch nervously over and over, fidgeting. Ignacio managed to ignore the younger man and close his eyes for a few hours at least. Daniel paced and ran his hand through his hair and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.  
He was so excited he couldn't stand it. He and Betty were having a baby! It was amazing. He couldn't imagine what she must have been going through all these months, having to run the magazine, while going through morning sickness, and cravings and discomfort all alone.  
It made him feel so guilty that she felt she had to protect him from the stress or responsibility of fatherhood. It also upset him that he hadn't been there with her.  
He knew the day he had told her of his plans to return to New York she had seemed like she wanted to tell him something and was happy at first, then went quiet.  
She probably had wanted to tell him then, but had been afraid to, for fear of putting too much pressure on him while he was recovering. He couldn't be angry with her for wanting to protect him and putting more strain on herself in the process.  
He couldn't believe he had doubted her for a second, worrying she had met another man. Well, perhaps in a way, he thought, suddenly, wondering if she could be having a boy. Not that he cared. A baby girl with Betty's beautiful eyes and hair and intelligence would be amazing, too, he thought wistfully.  
He just hoped everything was okay. The hospital had re-assured Betty's dad that she had just been having what's known as 'Braxton Hicks' contractions and it was nothing to worry about.  
He stopped in the gift shop downstairs to pick up some flowers. Luckily, they had daisies, Betty's favorite he knew. Ignacio smiled, "Do you want to go in first, mijoh?"  
Daniel chuckled, "I see how it is. You're scared to face her to let her know you told her secret, aren't you, Mr. Suarez? Sorry, Ignacio.  
You figure you'll let me go in first, and smooth the way for you so she'll be so happy she won't mind so much that you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"  
The older man grinned and nodded, patting Daniel on the back, "Good to know my grandson will be a smart cookie from both sides!"  
Daniel raised his eyebrows, "Grand son?"  
Ignacio put his hand to his forehead, "Dios Mio! I DO have a big mouth!"  
Daniel grinned, "Hey, I'll tell you what, I'll act surprised about that one. I'm not upset you let it slip. I'm kind of happy it's going to be a boy.  
Although either way, I'm over the moon, just at the thought that Betty and I are going to be parents. I can't believe that the last time I was in this place; I was flat on my back and didn't know for sure if I was ever going to walk again." He looked around, remembering.  
"And now…it's just so amazing!" He fought back tears, he was so grateful. He pulled himself together and held the flowers firmly.  
"Well, wish me luck, papi! I'll give you a text when it's safe for you to let Betty know she's not the only one who's a terrible liar!"  
"Good luck, son." He gave him a big hug, patting him on the back. "Got the ring?"  
Daniel patted his coat pocket, looking panicked until he felt it there, then he smiled, sighing. "Check!"  
Daniel saw Betty. She looked so beautiful. He couldn't believe how big she had gotten. He was so happy to see her. She was pressing buttons on the remote for the television up in the corner of the room when she spotted Daniel.  
"Daniel! Oh, my God! What are you doing here? How did you know?" She held her stomach self- consciously. She narrowed her eyes, "Hilda, right? Or my dad? Justin? I swear…"  
He walked slowly to her side, and noticed she had tears in her eyes and her hand over her mouth, "Oh my God, Daniel, you're walking! You look so great! I'm so happy to see you."  
He didn't say a word, but leaned over and kissed her deeply, then caressed her forehead with one hand and placed his other hand on her stomach gently.  
"Uh, something you forgot to tell me, sweetie? Now I see why you didn't want to Skype me. Do you know I was afraid you had a secret boyfriend or something and knew I'd be able to see you were hiding it from me if I saw your expression?  
Shows you what I know, huh?" he chuckled softly, grabbing her hand and keeping the other hand placed lightly on her stomach.  
She started to cry, "Daniel, I know you must hate me for not telling you. I wanted to so much that day…"  
"The day I told you I was going to New York, right? I should have let you talk first. I'm always doing that to you. Sorry, Betty."  
"Are you mad?" She looked up at him, her eyes still moist.  
He took both of her hands in his and brought them up to his lips tenderly, kissing them one at a time, "Are you kidding? I'm so happy; I don't care about anything else, Betty. I just hate that you've had to deal with the stress of being pregnant and doing your job all by yourself, that's all.  
Oh, and by the way, don't shoot your dad for spilling the beans, okay? He was just concerned I thought you were really sick when I couldn't reach you and was afraid I was going to jump to conclusions because of Molly, I think.  
He's downstairs, in the lobby waiting for the all clear that you aren't going to kill him before he gets to be a grandpa again.  
"Oh, that's not going to be for a few more weeks, at least. But I'm glad he's here. He can cook for me! I was really missing his cooking for a while there."  
She hugged him, tightly, "Daniel, I'm so relieved you're here now and you know about the baby. I assume my dad also told you we're having a son?" He pretended to be shocked, but she wasn't buying it.  
"Don't ever take up acting, Daniel. You suck at faking surprise almost as much as you do at fighting or speaking French, or lying!" she laughed, "It's fine. I probably would have been too excited not to tell you anyway. Especially since I didn't get to see your face when you first found out."  
He grinned, "I almost passed out. I think my face looked like this." He made a goofy expression to see her laugh, "I started running around like a nut.  
All I packed is a bunch of underwear mainly and a few tee shirts and jeans. I was so out of it. I got your dad and we hopped on the plane right away. God, I missed you! I should have never left!" He hugged her tightly.  
She blushed, "Is that a ring in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me, Daniel?" he rolled his eyes, "Boy, between you and your dad, I'm just not allowed any surprises, am I?"  
He got out the ring and got down right next to her bed. "Betty Suarez, I need you in my life so badly, honey. Will you marry me and be the mother of my child? In whatever order you want.  
I should never have left you here. I swear to you, from now on, we'll all three be together. If you'll have me."  
"I will."


End file.
